Literary Birthday – 1 January – Douglas Kennedy

Happy Birthday, Douglas Kennedy, born 1 January 1955.

Douglas Kennedy Quotes

1. I want to be a popular novelist who’s also serious, or a serious novelist who’s also very accessible. (The Irish Times)
2. With a novel, no matter where I am in it, I’m fretting about it. Every time I write a book it starts with great forward momentum. Then there seems to be a period where it slows down a bit, and other things intervene. Then I gain momentum. There’s always a moment where I have a huge period of doubt about the whole thing, which I fight through, and then I pick up rhythm towards the end. I’m not saying it always works that way, but pretty much. The important thing, for me, is to be able to do it day in and day out. (The Irish Times)
3. I have been able to train myself to work anywhere. (The Irish Times)
4. …a key to a long literary career is about perseverance and (as my maternal grandfather was fond of noting) never falling in love with the aroma of your own perfume. Which is wise counsel that I repeat to myself every morning before writing my daily quota of five hundred words. (Huffpost)
5. A long career is also about discipline — especially as writing still remains, for me, a confidence trick you play on yourself. (Huffpost)
6. I’ve found a wide readership not by tackling intellectual themes, but by proposing very direct questions connected to the daily lives of each and every one of us. I’m passionate about other people’s lives, and it’s my favorite subject. (UNamur)
7. I write about serious things, but I also write to keep the reader turning the pages. I’m an advocate of “popular” literature. And I’m committed to demystifying culture and literature. It’s essential to create a new generation of readers. (UNamur)

Douglas Kennedy is an American author of 15 novels, including the international bestsellers The Big Picture, The Pursuit of Happiness, Leaving the World, and The Moment. He has written psychological thrillers and literary fiction. He is known for his suspense-filled plots and relatable characters. Kennedy’s novels are often set in Europe, and they have been most popular in France. In 2007 he was awarded the French decoration of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His latest novels are Flyover and Afraid Of The Light. More than 14 million copies of his books have been sold worldwide and his work has been translated into 22 languages. Follow him on Facebook.

Source for image: Evenementsunil, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Douglas_Kennedy_%C3%A0_l%27Universit%C3%A9_de_Lausanne.jpg

by Amanda Patterson

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