(photo credit: NYU Creative Writers) A not small thing that has sustained me in these times is re-reading Edward P. Jones. When I get caught up in a terminally boring twitter debate about the need for Black Joy (tm) and what is a “suitable” Black love story, I only need to re-read “In the Blink of God’s Eye” to read one of the best meditations on love and care written. When I start to think about the tyranny of form and the narrative arc, I have the beautiful puzzled of “Spanish in the Morning”— a story that manages to be both about the immediacy of a first week of school and the swoon of recollection—to bedevil any arguments about the straightness of a narrative line.
Great job, Kaitlin. A.O. Scott from NYT seems to have sparked a Renaissance in reading EPJ, including myself. I sure hope Mr Jones has more wonderful stories to tell us.
Great job, Kaitlin. A.O. Scott from NYT seems to have sparked a Renaissance in reading EPJ, including myself. I sure hope Mr Jones has more wonderful stories to tell us.
Oh, how I wish he would publish something again. Anything. It’s been almost 15 years. Come on, Mr. Jones, we miss you!
This was such a fantastic interview. I'm so happy to be a recipient of your newsletter. Thanks for doing this. -- Ian Shapira
Oh, I love him, thank you for interviewing him!
Wow! What a get! Excellent interview!! Your writing is a salve for these trying times!