As far as what I do, my value as a writer is certainly not to try to recapitulate a 19th century form. Certain styles of narrative don't conform to my style of experiencing the world.
Mark LeynerโEt Tu, Babeโ was born out of my absolute certainty that a writerโs life was solitary and insular, and I was happy with that. I love reading and writing, itโs my whole life.
Mark LeynerActually what's worse than a dog's mouth is a cat's mouth. They're not dirtier per se, but they have sharper teeth, so they are much more likely to go deep, should they bite you.
Mark LeynerI've always wanted to be a poet at the beginning. I would look at my grandparents' books and my parents' books. And in my family, a typical aspirational Jewish family, being a writer was very much exalted, and it seemed impossible to me, that I could ever do something like that.
Mark Leyner