Thanks for all this wonderful Substacking! Not a question, but I thought this the best place to try and let you know I reviewed (alongside a mélange of others) your recent book, Languages of Truth, for Areo Magazine. (Incidentally, I also reviewed Quichotte in the same outlet in 2019, which you appreciatively re-tweeted!)
Dear Mr. Rushdie. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my questions. Though this is most likely an ephemeral moment for you, it will be one that I will cherish for a long time.
It is so exciting to hear that you have written a play. Live theatre is so important and, as I understand it, right now, it faces financial oblivion. We need amazing writers like you to help preserve this cultural force. I really believe these 2 - 3 hours performances can cast spells and change minds. I wonder what your play is about.
It is really interesting to read your comment about learning from Charles Dickens, especially his wide and extensive coverage of society. And his gift of naming. I recently read ‘Our Mutual Friend’. Where to begin? Like you say, his engagement with his society is remarkable.
I know that you picked Shakespeare but can you imagine walking into a room and seeing Mr. Dickens sipping a cup of tea? There is an empty chair opposite and he is expecting you. For some reason, I picture his raven squawking in the background. I wonder what he would say about ‘Midnight’s Children’? (This novel is also prolific in scope!). Better still, what would he write about if he were alive today? It is fascinating to read your comments on the human condition, and the fact that, whilst society continues to undergo tumultuous change, human nature is ‘unchanging’ (and your interest lies in the tension between these two). On some level, the experiences of a modern-day Oliver Twist, Uriah Heep, or Madame Defarge might not be that different.
I am currently reading your ‘Languages of Truth’. For other subscribers to this substack, who might not have had a chance yet, it is so interesting! Not sure why, but the Carrie Fisher piece stuck with me. Maybe it’s because I spent my childhood believing that Obi-Wan Kenobi was the only hope. Or maybe in these languages of truth, it was just so honest, and sincere. I am sorry about your friend’s passing. I have also thought a lot about how you compare the dream of becoming a writer with your childhood dream of flying out of your bedroom window in Bombay. It is also fascinating to learn about your experiences before ‘Midnight’s Children’ was published and your anxieties about its reception. This is the Salman Rushdie that is the most interesting.
Thank you so much again, Mr. Rushdie. It has been such a privilege. If this is the moment just before the door closes shut, I just want to say that I hope you keep ‘flying’ through ‘bright and buoyant air’ for many years to come.
Mr. Rushdie, what is your opinion of the creative writing MFA and other educational programs for early-career writers? Are they a good investment? Or do they encourage stylistic conformity? In general, what advice would you give to aspiring writers on developing their craft?
Sir rushdie, i would like to ask this one thing i really struggle with while writing my own pieces....when you write, are you thinking simultaneously about the way you should write it (the words you should use, the kind of sentence you should structure) or just the get the substance of the story first??
Thanks for all this wonderful Substacking! Not a question, but I thought this the best place to try and let you know I reviewed (alongside a mélange of others) your recent book, Languages of Truth, for Areo Magazine. (Incidentally, I also reviewed Quichotte in the same outlet in 2019, which you appreciatively re-tweeted!)
https://areomagazine.com/2021/10/22/constitutions-frontiers-revelations-and-truths-new-books-by-jonathan-rauch-a-c-grayling-erik-hoel-and-salman-rushdie/
Dear Mr. Rushdie. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my questions. Though this is most likely an ephemeral moment for you, it will be one that I will cherish for a long time.
It is so exciting to hear that you have written a play. Live theatre is so important and, as I understand it, right now, it faces financial oblivion. We need amazing writers like you to help preserve this cultural force. I really believe these 2 - 3 hours performances can cast spells and change minds. I wonder what your play is about.
It is really interesting to read your comment about learning from Charles Dickens, especially his wide and extensive coverage of society. And his gift of naming. I recently read ‘Our Mutual Friend’. Where to begin? Like you say, his engagement with his society is remarkable.
I know that you picked Shakespeare but can you imagine walking into a room and seeing Mr. Dickens sipping a cup of tea? There is an empty chair opposite and he is expecting you. For some reason, I picture his raven squawking in the background. I wonder what he would say about ‘Midnight’s Children’? (This novel is also prolific in scope!). Better still, what would he write about if he were alive today? It is fascinating to read your comments on the human condition, and the fact that, whilst society continues to undergo tumultuous change, human nature is ‘unchanging’ (and your interest lies in the tension between these two). On some level, the experiences of a modern-day Oliver Twist, Uriah Heep, or Madame Defarge might not be that different.
I am currently reading your ‘Languages of Truth’. For other subscribers to this substack, who might not have had a chance yet, it is so interesting! Not sure why, but the Carrie Fisher piece stuck with me. Maybe it’s because I spent my childhood believing that Obi-Wan Kenobi was the only hope. Or maybe in these languages of truth, it was just so honest, and sincere. I am sorry about your friend’s passing. I have also thought a lot about how you compare the dream of becoming a writer with your childhood dream of flying out of your bedroom window in Bombay. It is also fascinating to learn about your experiences before ‘Midnight’s Children’ was published and your anxieties about its reception. This is the Salman Rushdie that is the most interesting.
Thank you so much again, Mr. Rushdie. It has been such a privilege. If this is the moment just before the door closes shut, I just want to say that I hope you keep ‘flying’ through ‘bright and buoyant air’ for many years to come.
Best regards
Nick
Mr. Rushdie, what is your opinion of the creative writing MFA and other educational programs for early-career writers? Are they a good investment? Or do they encourage stylistic conformity? In general, what advice would you give to aspiring writers on developing their craft?
Sir rushdie, i would like to ask this one thing i really struggle with while writing my own pieces....when you write, are you thinking simultaneously about the way you should write it (the words you should use, the kind of sentence you should structure) or just the get the substance of the story first??