A Venn diagram designed by author Jimmy Chen.
This pie chart illustrates what’s in my head in terms of what I think about writing, and who goes where. This of course is just a partial list, and my apologies for the lack of contemporaries, and women. Again, this is a view into my head, and probably subject to some disagreement. I think of all writing being from the head (pros: cerebral, conceptual; cons: didactic, dry), the mouth (pros: language, poetics; cons: empty banter, pure form), and the heart (pros: empathic, intimate; cons: sentimental, emotional) . My favorite writers, those in the white dashed center, are able to write from all three places. Other writers I admire are writing from two places. Others tend to fall into just one category, somewhat consumed by that point of view. Authors near the outer edges of their category may be seen as my critique of them, for the excessiveness of that sensibility. It would be interesting to see where you disagree, and why, and list those who I’ve failed to mention, and place them accordingly.
lol when this was posted without the soothing context of the authorial voice it got 10x the notes.
disregard my previous transmission.
You know, this is honestly pretty perfect other than…
Rand is just a shitty writer who does not belong. I think Ginsberg has a lot of heart. If Pynchon could be on the outskirts of both head and mouth, it would be the most appropriate, haha. Love it, though.
(via traversefamilypicnic)
