Loading...
 
Print
Author Goes to College — As A Teacher

by Barbara Young?

Richard Brautigan says it took him eight years, from the time he was 17 until he was 25, to learn to write a sentence.

He never attended college.

His first book manuscript was rejected about 20 times before it finally was accepted for publication.

But that first novel, Trout Fishing in America, was the beginning of a success story that hasn't ended. Brautigan today is considered one of America's leading contemporary authors.

Brautigan is the first to admit his popularity is difficult to explain. He attributes part of it to luck but thinks hard work is a major factor. "I work very, very hard to make things appear very, very simple," he says.

The Montana author feels good writers have to be courageous. He added he didn't really expect to find that in his students but was pleasantly surprised this spring.

Brautigan, who did not attend college and considers himself self-taught, instructed a creative writing course in MSU's English Department this spring.

"I told my class the first day that it's impossible to teach creative writing," he said. "I told them that what I could provide was a creative atmosphere and the experience of 30 years of writing. Later, I told them one of the grading factors would be the courage of their imagination and intelligence.

"I was astounded. I've been extremely pleased by the high quality of writing I've seen."

Brautigan added the undergraduates did not pattern their writing after the instructor. That's where individual courage came into play. "They took a very honest approach to their writing."

The author admits he learned something, too.

"I think education provides the tools for a person to understand and enjoy life on this planet," he says. "The more you know, the more you can enjoy during our brief stay here. You can't get too much education. It should be a lifelong process."

Brautigan's latest novel, So That The Wind Won't Blow It All Away, sic will be published this fall by Delacourte-Seymour Lawrence Press. He's also working on another book whose working title is An Unfortunate Woman. He won't say what it's about but says "it will be as sad as it sounds."

Even though Brautigan has 11 novels and several volumes of poetry to his credit and has become a popular author on college campuses, he doesn't predict he'll go down in history as one of the nation's great authors.

"I'm just a writer and I just want to continue writing books that people want to read. People often ask me which of my books is my favorite. And I tell then it hasn't been written yet."

Great Falls Tribune?
June 14, 1982: 9A



Copyright note: My purpose in putting this material on the web is to provide Brautigan scholars and fans with ideas for further research into Richard Brautigan's work. It is used here in accordance with fair use guidelines. No attempt is made regarding commercial duplication and/or dissemination. If you are the author of this article or hold the copyright and would like me to remove your article from the Brautigan Archives, please contact me at birgit at cybernetic-meadows.net.