i'm obsessed with shorts. short. stories.
congratulations on winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. what an accomplishment. when i think of all those stories, all those characters, all those details. it’s mind boggling. you’ve worked so hard, Alice. i don’t know why but i keep thinking about your husband. i wish he was here to celebrate with you. please know that … Read more
dear alice, we held the “what alice munro means to me as a writer” panel at the library and it was terrific. i’m sorry you weren’t there. approx. 30 people showed up and we talked about you, your stories, your example of how to live and write. stylistic differences/likes and dislikes aside, the consensus was … Read more
dear alice, i read an essay by Cheryl Strayed titled ‘Munro Country’ in which she describes corresponding with you and, further, goes on to discuss how she came to read your stories. it’s a long essay and Cheryl’s a good writer, a better writer than i’ll ever be. anyway, in her essay Cheryl talks, at … Read more
dear alice, a writer friend and i talked about modeling your writing to see how it works and agreed it wasn’t a paragraph or page that would work, that we’d have to model an entire story and, you know, some of your stories are pretty long, Alice. not that there’s anything wrong with that. that … Read more
dear alice, i had coffee with a writer friend and she said something profound: “everything comes back to Alice.” we talked about crafting stories in Canada. then we talked about your success and the scrutiny and how the people of your hometown weren’t supportive of your writing, because it cast light on the darker aspects … Read more
dear alice, we need to talk about sex. you wrote this sexy bit in the story “Differently” (Selected Stories) that deals with sex in a frank way, so much so that i’ve often reflected on your writerly stance. here’s a sample: And Georgia, herself, watching her children on the roundabout, or feeling the excellent shape … Read more
dear alice dear imaginary readers of this blog, i have won a writing prize called The Brenda Strathern “Late Bloomers” Award. it’s for people over the age of 40 who are looking to publish their first book. that’s me. with the monies i will go forth into the creative vortex known as The Banff … Read more
dear alice, in a previous letter i’ve referred to you as a female jesus. i want you to know that i can’t help it. it’s strange to me that i do this. i mean, i’m not religious. and yet jesus routinely shows up in my writing. it’s a form of rebellion. i was raised in … Read more
dear alice, seeing as i already know you, i have a favour to ask. could you please appeal to The New Yorker on my friend Lee Kvern’s behalf? she’d very much like a story placed in that magazine and you must know somebody there who could help. i’ve enclosed a copy of her story “White” … Read more
dear alice, we’ve never met but i sometimes think that i know you through your stories. not all the time, of course, because some of your stories are distant. take, for instance, “Friend of my Youth”. i know it’s complete and the wall is symbolic but i can’t connect. is it because it’s set in … Read more