Saturday, September 11, 2021

What is the minimum it takes to be a writer?

When people talk about writers and writing, I think of Antonio Porchia.

If I were a teacher encouraging young writers, I’d tell them about Porchia. To my mind, he’s a good model of the minimalist writer, a writer who showed us all the things we don’t need to become writers.

Some people have convinced themselves that they need educational credentials, unlimited leisure and financial support.

Porchia was a laborer who had to quit school early to help support his family.

Some writers write stories, some essays, some poems. Porchia distilled what he’d learned from life in aphorisms.

He left behind one small book, “Voices.” It’s a lovely book.

He was also the victim — a happy one, as it turned out — of one of the great burglaries in literary history. If you’re interested in the details, I have longer essay on Porchia at hebertaylor.com.

 

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