Larry Watson Reading
Larry Watson reads from his novel entitled Orchard. During a question and answer session, Watson discusses his writing process, claiming: “Often I feel like I’m writing for the work itself—if I’m attentive enough it will assert certain things.” Watson claims that he writes in a mostly linear fashion, although Orchard in structured in a non-chronological order. He claims this order was important so that the reader could make connections from scene to scene, instead of linking events in relation to their place in time.
Watson goes on to discuss the importance of landscape in his work, claiming that the story “nudged him” toward it. He also points out the difficulty in portraying a character who is a visual artist, and details the extensive research he performed regarding painting techniques to inform the novel. He further explains that, like the painter in Orchard, many of the characters identify strongly with a specific sense such as sight or touch.
In: "Live from Prairie Lights" Audio Archive | Fiction
Authors: Larry Watson
Date Recorded: June 28, 2004
Works Read:
Program: Live From Prairie Lights
Format: reading
Contributors: Introduction by host Julie Englander.
Topics: writing process, visual artists, obsession