A writing tip from Roberto Bolaño

 Roberto Bolaño, who was about as good as it gets, said writers who like short stories should read Chekhov and Carver. One of the two, he said, had to be the best writer of the 20^th century.

I can’t see how Willa Cather isn’t on even the shortest list. But that’s the problem with looking for the best or the greatest. Each reader stands alone as judge.

Bolaño wrote “Advice on the Art of Writing Short Stories,” most of which is facetious, rather than helpful.

But he contended that reading is more important than writing. Writers learn by reading and by hearing stories told.

His rules of thumb:

• Read a lot.

• Learn from the good writers.

• Avoid the bad.

I found “Advice on the Art of Writing Short Stories” in Roberto Balaño, Between Parentheses; New York: New Directions, 2011.