![]() ![]() Denis Johnson’s “ Jesus' Son” had a tremendous impact on me. WALKER: I like short-story writers more than novelists. Mencken.īOOKS: Who are your favorite fiction writers? For humorous writers, Twain, James Thurber, and a favorite from college, H.L. WALKER: Ralph Ellison, Baldwin, Joan Didion, Stanley Crouch, Albert Murray, who is probably my favorite, and Zadie Smith. It wasn’t until my short-story career came to a natural death that I turned to essays. We read James Baldwin’s “ The Fire the Next Time.” But I started off as a fiction writer, so I read mostly fiction then. ![]() WALKER: Probably when I took my first creative writing class. Also the essay collection “ Thick,” by the brilliant social critic Tressie McMillan Cottom, which was a National Book Award finalist last year.īOOKS: When did you start reading essays? WALKER: Kiese Laymon’s memoir, “ Heavy.” It’s serious but also one of the funniest books I’ve read. I only read Winterson’s book because it’s funny. WALKER: I honestly stay as far away from the subject as I possibly can. BOOKS: Are there books that do a good job of conveying what life is like in a cult? ![]()
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