Ann Tyler, author of Digging to America discusses her new book with Carol Memmott of USA Today. Notoriously interview-shy, she also explains why she doesn't like to talk about her writing process or her personal life.
Q: You stopped giving in-person interviews in 1977 and don't do book tours. Why?
A: I have learned that when I talk about writing, I stop doing any writing for some time afterward. (I always say there must be some sort of Writing Elf who retreats in a sulk the instant he's exposed.)
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Q: Do you think too many authors tell too much about their personal lives?
A: I don't for a minute question other writers' discussing their personal lives; in fact I'm usually very interested when they do. But in my own case, I'm trying to be "transparent." I'd like my characters to shine straight through me as if I were invisible. I don't want my writing style to be a style that's noticed, and I certainly don't want my readers stepping outside my story to think, "Hmm, the husband here sounds like the author's husband," or "I wonder if the author had this same experience." That would defeat my purpose, which is to convince my readers that they're living inside the world of my book.
Digging to America recieved a starred review from Booklist which said: "This deeply human tale of valiantly improvised lives is one of Tyler's best."
