“It turns out that ‘low-intensity’ negative moods are linked to better writing than happy moods. As shown in the research of University of New South Wales Psychology Professor Joe Forgas, when we’re not walking on clouds or doing a happy dance, we tend to be more careful and mindful of details. “Forgas has worked extensively [...]
Archive for November 23rd, 2009
Good News, Bad Muse: Do Bad Moods Make for Better Writing?
Posted in Human Behavior, Writers & Writing on November 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Assaying the Essay: Zadie Smith Asks “Why Do Novelists Write Essays?”
Posted in Book Reviews, Books, Literature, Writers & Writing on November 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Why do novelists write essays? Most publishers would rather have a novel. Bookshops don’t know where to put them. It’s a rare reader who seeks them out with any sense of urgency. Still, in recent months Jonathan Safran Foer, Margaret Drabble, Chinua Achebe and Michael Chabon, among others, have published essays, and so this month will I. [...]
