On Being a Writer

This collection of 31 interviews, published originally in Writer's Digest magazine from 1958 through the present, explores the professional whys and wherefores of writers from William Faulkner to Ellen Goodman. Once past the condescending introduction by Will Blythe of Esquire , readers will find rewarding insights into the characters of Hemingway, Steinbeck, Capote and other novelists, playwrights, poets and prize-winning columnists. All agree that an aspiring writer must work hard--``produce, produce, produce''--and describe their widely differing methods of putting words on paper. Harlan Ellison is an exceptionally eloquent champion of writers who try but fail, urging them to keep writing because ``you have something to say . . . you're a writer. And that's something better than being a millionaire.'' Pictures not seen by PW. (Sept.)