Jami Attenberg
Jami Attenberg
notebook morning thinking
What I try very hard to do is have an hour or so in the morning when I leave the house and don't have my phone with me. I'll go sit in a cafe and read and handwrite in my notebook and not be facing a screen. My head will be clear. I will be able to hear myself think. Because honestly for the rest of the day it's just screens, screens, screens.
writing emotional historical-novels
I've been told by people who write historical novels that you just sort of write the emotional truth first, the story at the core, and then you go back and research it at the end.
brain stories palate
I find that short stories are almost like palate cleansers or brain cleansers.
terrible please relatable
Please make me either relatable or terrible.
updates whim my-own
In 1998, I started a blog, something I could control very easily and update at my own whim.
book thinking use
I just think structure can make a book feel so much bigger. It's the architecture. You could use flimsy materials if you wanted to, even, but it could still feel big.
smart book perfect
Smart, sharp, and hilarious, Slaughterhouse 90210 is the perfect pick-me-up and never-put-me-down book.
ants humans human-beings
We are human beings, not ants.
apology past men
With apologies to all my past boyfriends, I never loved a man the way I loved my old apartment.
crazy writing epic
I'd love to be able to write crazy epic plots. I'm working on it.
writing thinking contemporary-fiction
Most of my writer friends are women, and they're all extremely talented, so of course I think the state of contemporary fiction for women is pretty great. Which is to say there is a ton of amazing work out there. These women are writing hard. There's much to be said. We're on it, chief.
book criticism female
Maybe just as many women writers as male writers could be billed as the next great American writer by their publisher. Maybe book criticism sections could review an equal amount of female and male writers. Maybe Oprah could start putting some books by women authors in her book club, since most of her audience is women.
children believe holiday
I remember being banned from other houses as a younger child during the winter holiday season; I was the only one who didn't believe in Santa Claus, and I was ruining everyone's Christmas.
people
There are generations of people who don't know how to eat properly.