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Monday, October 4, 2021

James Ellroy On Being Labeled a Mystery Writer

Who wants to be a mystery writer? Who wants to be a crime novelist when you can be a plain old novelist with a capital "N"? You are known by the company you keep. I mean, do you want to be mentioned in the same breath as Agatha Christie and a bunch of people like that?

James Ellroy, barcelonareview.com, April 16, 2001 

2 comments:

  1. How come so many writers- good ones, too- have to go around putting down other writers? Do they think a reader won't read as much of their work if said reader veers off into another writer's genre once in a while? I do believe that I am capable of reading, understanding, and yeah, enjoying, many types of books, including Mr. Ellroy's AND Ms. Christie's... And of course yours, Mr. Fisher! ;-)

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  2. Thank you! Some novelists tend to be insecure, jealous and competitive. And a few of the great ones like Ernest Hemingway, Charles Bukowski and John O'Hara, acted like jerks. But like you, as a reader, I just care about the books and like you, my literary interests are broad.

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