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Nov. 28, 2023
179. Influence + Failure = Originality: Geoff Dyer [reads] ‘The Country and the City’
Geoff Dyer reading from Raymond Williams’ The Country and the City, and discussing how to find your own distinct voice.
Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages
Are you living for 70 years, or are you living the same year 70 times?
It’s one of the great existential questions that writers and creators face, too – Am I writing many books, or am I writing the same book many times? Sure, the “best” answer seems obvious, but I’m not sure the true answer is always clear-cut. Malcolm Galdwell made popular a study that showed the difference between two great artists, Picasso and Cezanne; there’s deep and there’s wide, and it’s an eternal rhythm. Get book links and resources at https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/
Geoff Dyer is a real writer. He’s the award-winning author of four novels, as well as numerous non-fiction titles on D. H. Lawrence, understanding photography, yoga, and more.
Geoff reads two pages from ‘The Country and the City’ by Raymond Williams. [reading begins at 23:45]
Hear us discuss:
The relationship between photography and writing. [6:33] | “Write the book that only you can write.” [11:47] | Self-expression as a learnt practice: “I became a very original writer by being incredibly susceptible to influences.” [11:53] | “The writing life is full of surprises.” [35:06] | The most important lessons in writing. [36:53]