Writing: Paul Auster

There's a fantastic interview that was published in The Paris Review where American author Paul Auster explains his habits regarding writing, his fondness for writing by hand,  typing his books once they are finished with his Olympia typewriter, and writing in notebooks. I am leaving two of my favorite extracts here, but please, take a minute to dig in the interview. It's well worth it!

PAUL AUSTER

I’ve always written by hand. Mostly with a fountain pen, but sometimes with a pencil—especially for corrections. If I could write directly on a typewriter or a computer, I would do it. But keyboards have always intimidated me. I’ve never been able to think clearly with my fingers in that position. A pen is a much more primitive instrument. You feel that the words are coming out of your body and then you dig the words into the page. Writing has always had that tactile quality for me. It’s a physical experience.

I suppose I think of the notebook as a house for words, as a secret place for thought and self-examination. I’m not just interested in the results of writing, but in the process, the act of putting words on a page. Don’t ask me why. It might have something to do with an early confusion on my part, an ignorance about the nature of fiction.