The final part of ThisWriting Life's cheerful conversation with Vendela Vida begins with wondering whether writing is a form of narcissism and ends with a discussion of parenthood.----more----In between we explored:
- 'There are people doing good in the world...and I am just sitting here thinking my thoughts. That's why you need to keep a sense of humour about what you are doing.'
- Vida on her children's literacy programme, 826 Valencia, and The Believer magazine
- 'Writing can be very lonely...We read to know we're not alone, and we write to know we're not alone'
- the importance of helping young people develop writing skills
- 'If my own kids wanted to be a writer, I might say, Gosh, there are so many jobs out there.'
- on her early writing career: 'Trying to pay grad school loans, working a job, waitressing. 5 o'clock in the morning pretending to write to justify the rest of my existence. That is not fun...'
- on whether she had a choice to be a novelist
- how do writers (try to) make a living?
- how does Vida fit it all in?
- what's next?
- family and motherhood.
Two short Vida 'This Writing Life podcast-extras' will follow next week. Her latest novel is The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty, available in paperback from Atlantic.
