& occasionally about other things, too...

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Katherine Govier

I recently read Katherine Govier’s collection of short stories, The Immaculate Conception Photography Gallery.

Earlier this month, she came to talk to internationally trained writers at the Sheridan College to discuss the craft of writing.

She describes her style as “no-style writing.” It’s simple – short sentences, short paragraphs – yet powerful.

She aims to communicate and not impress. The innate simplicity of form elevates her stories and they begin to appeal to the reader in different ways.

Govier answered many questions about writing.

Aspiring writers often ask her whether they can become good writers. She quoted Anne Dillard’s answer: “Do you like sentences?” and said, “If you do, you can become a writer.”

It was an engaging session that could have lasted longer than it did. Everyone participated with intelligent interventions that revealed a depth that is often missing in the class.

Patricia Bradbury, thank you.

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