In 2008, Paul Auster (author of the New York Trilogy) and J. M. Coetzee (winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize for Literature) started faxing letters to each other (Auster hates the Internet so these are actual letters, not emails). You would think that in the exchange of letters, literature would be at the heart of their communication. But, you would be wrong. Coetzee mulls over the state of the international economy a lot. Auster is a huge sports fan so many of his letters have sports commentary. Some of the letters are profound, some are just nutty. Auster suggests that the United States move all the Israelis from Israel to Wyoming to solve the Middle East problem. There are also surprises: Auster praises Charles Willeford’s New Hope for the Dead. If you enjoy reading other people’s letters, you’ll enjoy Here and Now. GRADE: B
I love NEW HOPE FOR THE DEAD but I am not sure this is enough to pull me in.
Patti, HERE AND NOW is a quick read. But I was surprised that two such accomplished writers had so little to say about writing. Politics and economics seemed to dominate their exchanges.
I like Auster (both fiction and essays), but don’t remember reading anything by Coetzee. Like Patti, I’m not sure that this would be my cup of tea, especially since the letters don’t touch on literature that much. It does bring up a good point: Does anyone write letters anymore? What will biographers of the future do?
Deb, biographers will be combing through emails and Tweets and analyzing Facebook walls. I have written zero letters in the past 10 years.
I still write notes in hard copy, usually on notecards, though oat of my communication is by spoken word on phone or by email.
This isn’t one that would interest me. I am about done with P.G. WODEHOUSE, A LIFE IN LETTERS which you recommended. Good, though sad in places. I’m reading the chapter titled Last Years now.
Rick, the art of writing letters has pretty much been lost. Reading Auster’s and Coetzee’s faxes aren’t as engrossing as Wodehouse’s letters. I can’t wait to read your review of P.G. WODEHOUSE: A LIFE IN LETTERS!
Update – just finished it. I’ll write it up soon.
I started to leave a commment on my phone but I think I messed it up and since it isn’t here I guess I did.
What I tried to say was that I do like reading other people’s letters (example: John D. MacDonald’s correspondence with Dan Rowan during the Laugh-In days) so I’ve reserved this one from the library. I’m not expecting Henry James or Ernest Hemingway but I’m curious to see it.
Jeff, both Auster and Coetzee are very personable and readable in these exchanges.