Kathryn Scanlan is a celebrated writer and editor, who has made her mark in the literary world with her unique and captivating style. Her works have been featured in publications such as The New Yorker, Granta, and The Paris Review and she has also written a novel, The Outer Level.
Having won numerous awards, Kathryn Scanlan is a highly sought-after author, and we are lucky to have the opportunity to interview her today.
In this interview, we will explore her creative process and learn more about her writing journey, as well as her thoughts on the current state of the literary world.
Her insights and wisdom will surely provide us with a glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential literary figures of our time.
Kathryn Scanlan is an American author, editor, and teacher. She is best known for her novel The Outer Level, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize. Kathryn Scanlan has also published short fiction in The New Yorker and Granta.
She teaches at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is a professor at the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, and at the Michener Center for Writers. Her fiction has been translated into several languages, including French, German, Portuguese, and Chinese.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer and editor, Scanlan was a professor at the University of California, Davis, and at the University of California, Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. in English and American studies from Stanford University.
When asked about the process of coming up with her ideas, Scanlan said, “I’ve had a lot of people ask me how I come up with stories.
I think maybe the best example is: when I was a Ph.D. student at Stanford, I was writing a dissertation on the 19th-century literary world, and I was having a lot of trouble finishing it.
And so I had this idea that maybe I should write a novel that would end with me finishing my dissertation. I started writing this novel about a Ph.D. candidate who’s writing a dissertation about the 19th-century literary world.
I got about halfway through the novel, and it was a mess. And I thought, ‘Oh my god, I’ve got to finish this other thing.’”
When asked to comment on how the literary world has changed since the time when she first started writing, Scanlan stated, “I think it’s changed in a lot of ways, but my first book was published in 1995, and the beginnings of the internet were around then.
And I think that everything has changed so dramatically since then, and I think one of the things I’d like to say is that there are a lot more writers than there used to be, which is a good thing, obviously.
There are more people writing, more people reading, more people thinking about language and literature.” “One of my concerns is that I think the literary world is getting more and more specialized.
I think that one of the things that happen when there are more people publishing is that the number of people who are reading has to go down, and I think that’s happening. So there are people who are writing and publishing who are not being read.
They’re only being read by people who are in their special subgroup. I think there are a lot of people who are writing who are not being read.”
When asked to share advice for aspiring authors, Scanlan noted, “I think that there are a lot of people who are really serious about the business side of publishing, and who are really good at that.
And they might say, ‘Don’t worry about trying to write the great American novel. Just try to write something that will sell.’ There are other people who are more interested in helping people write the best that they can.
I think that if you’re serious about writing, you have to be serious about reading. And you should read everything. You should read everything you can get your hands on. You should read stuff you don’t like, but you should read stuff that you like, too.”
When asked what the future holds for Kathryn Scanlan and her literary career, she stated, “I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I’m very happy with what’s happening now. I hope I’ll be able to keep writing.
I hope I’ll be able to get some people reading my work.” Scanlan’s latest work, The Outer Level, explores the themes of identity and belonging in an increasingly interconnected world.
The story follows a group of astronauts who become lost in space and struggle to regain their sense of self after returning to Earth. The Outer Level is a captivating and thought-provoking read that is sure to stay with readers long after the last page has been turned.
If you have yet to read any works by Kathryn Scanlan, be sure to add them to your reading list. Her novels and short stories explore a number of intriguing themes and have been praised by critics for their insightful looks at modern society.
In this interview, we got the chance to learn more about Kathryn Scanlan, as well as her thoughts on the current state of the literary world. Her insights and wisdom will surely provide us with a glimpse into the mind of one of the most influential literary figures of our time.
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