The Writers Who Read series continues this week with author and storyteller Gabrielle Selz.
Who are you?
Gabrielle Selz, I’m a writer and live storyteller (The Moth). I am published in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, Newsday, and MORE Magazine, among others. I just published a short piece in The New Yorker (my dream to publish there!) titled, “The Art of Mending.”
My debut book, UNSTILL LIFE: A DAUGHTER’S MEMOIR OF ART AND LOVE IN THE AGE OF ABSTRACTION was published by W.W. Norton in May, 2014. Briefly, it’s about growing up in the art world of 1960s and 70s and set against the unrestrained bohemians of New York and Berkeley. Unstill Life is an unforgettable portrait of a turbulent era and a moving story of my search for a steady place in a world where the boundaries between life and art often blurred.
Donna Seaman from Booklist gave it a starred review writing, “Selz’s memoir of aesthetic fervor, discovery, selfishness, sacrifice, sorrow, and abiding love is compelling testimony to art’s uplifting and, at times, diabolical power.” It was also listed as a best book of 2014 in the San Francisco Chronicle.
What are three beloved books you first read before the age of 12?
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (It is also the first book that made me cry.)
Silver Pennies, A Collection of Modern Poems for Boys and Girls, Edited by Blanche Jennings Thompson
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
What is one book you are always recommending to friends and family (and maybe thte local barista) as an adult?
Used to be: Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Now it’s Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
This year I loved reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel & All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer.
I don’t have a one book!
What is your book kryptonite–those unique elements in a book, beyond just great writing and three-dimensional characters, that make you unable to resist reading?
I have a strong weakness for any book where the character, male for female, has a great longing. I also like historical figures in fiction. When everything I think I know about a figure from history is turned on its head.
What is your ideal time and place to read?
Bed. I binge read in bed. Best time is during the evening/night. I think there’s even a short story collection called Women and Their Beds!
Which books have had the biggest influence on your writing?
Depends on the project. For my memoir, I read lots of memoirs, art history books, and books on writing.
I suppose though, if I had to choose overall, it would be Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, and John Cheever, The Complete Short Stories, I also go back to Alice Munro a lot to see how she compacts so much emotion and incident in few pages. Miles City, Montana is a story where so much happens in such a little space. It’s perfection!
How do you balance reading and writing in your life?
I read more between writing projects and when I’m starting them. Less, in the middle of a project. I don’t think there is a balance, but this is what works for me.
Choose your preferred book form: ebook, physical book, or audio book?
Physical book. I like the object itself. The weight. I read ebooks when I travel. I only do audio if it’s a long trip and I’m driving. I have found with audio books, that stories work better than long form novels.
Do you consciously plan your future reading–i.e., set book goals, keep a TBR list, participate in book challenges or book clubs? Why or why not?
No, it’s intuitive. Unless of course I’m doing research. Even then, I’ll begin with a reading list, but it’s open to allow me to follow whatever spark appears.
What are you reading now?
How to Be Both by Ali Smith
Loitering: New and Collected Essays by Charles D’Ambrosio
You can find out more about Gabrielle on her website.