As my regular readers know, I love me some writers. Other than individuals I know personally, I would say writers have had the largest influence on my life, so I was quite happy to see this meme.
According to the rules you are supposed to list the 25 most influential writers in your life. As others have pointed out, influential writers are not necessarily the ones who you enjoy the most nor is this a list of my top 25 most important writers. Rather it is a list of people who have influenced me over the years. I will admit, however, that I am predominately influenced by those I like. If I don't like a writer, I stop reading. Life is too short and there are far too many books to be reading something I don't enjoy.
Some are doing this in chronological order but I don't think I will be able to do so. Some writers have influenced me greatly but differently at different eras in my life. You are also supposed to tag 25 people to do this, but that is too tall of a task. Instead I will invite you all to play along.
- Octavia Butler
- Ursula K LeGuin
- Virginia Woolf
- Toni Morrison
- Doris Lessing
- T.S. Eliot
- Anne Carson
- Carol Gilligan
- A.A. Milne
- Grace Paley
- Maxine Hong Kingston
- Jane Austin
- George Eliot
- Leo Tolstoy
- Dr. Seuss
- Tillie Olson
- bell hooks
- Sara Ruddick
- Carolyn Heilbrun
- Adrienne Rich
- Mary Oliver
- Nikki Giovanni
- Mary Shelley
- E.B. White
- Henry James
It is also very interesting to follow the links back to see other people's choices. It makes me want to start following new blogs. I suppose it is similar to the saying "a friend of X's is a friend of mine."
1 comment:
I love your list. My number one writer is Flannery O'Connor, not because she's Southern as I am, but because she was a genius, the queen of relevant details and structure. Each time I read one of her stories, I learn something new about the craft.
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