Literary Birthday – 13 May – Charles Baxter

Happy Birthday, Charles Baxter, born on 13 May 1947.

Charles Baxter Quotes

1. When all the details fit in perfectly, something is probably wrong with the story.
2. The twentieth century has built up a powerful set of intellectual short cuts and devices that help us defend ourselves against moments when clouds suddenly appear to think.
3. If you want to see the consequences of ideas, write a story. If you want to see the consequences of belief, write a story in which somebody is acting on the ideas or beliefs that she has.
4. When I’m writing, I’m waiting to see somebody, and I’m waiting to hear them. It’s almost like conjuring spirits out of the air, using your own imaginative instability.
5. Literature is not an instruction manual.

Charles Baxter is an American author of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Charles Baxter is the author of nine books, including Gryphon: New and Selected Stories and Imaginary Paintings: And Other Poems. His novels include The Feast of Love and First Light. His latest book is Blood Test. His stories have appeared in several anthologies, including The Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize Anthology, and The O. Henry Prize Story Anthology. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1985 and he has won the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story.

Source for image of author: Poetry Foundation, Photo by Keri Pickett

by Amanda Patterson

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