Although I don't necessarily seek to emulate these authors, I certainly enjoy reading their work, and perhaps in so doing I've been influenced along the way.
Anna Quindlen used to write a bi-monthly column at the end of Newsweek. (If memory serves, I bought a subscription to that publication in high school to support my brother's school fundraiser, and I chose it because I thought it was what smart people read.) I liked the way Ms. Quindlen wove motherhood and her Catholic faith into much of what she wrote about current events. Thanks to reading her column, I expanded my vocabulary to include words like miasma and insouciant!
Chaim Potok first came across my radar in college when I was assigned to read The Chosen. That's a good book, but my favorite of his works is My Name is Asher Lev. Seriously, the end of that book is amazing. I know people say this all the time, but I literally could not put it down! I like Mr. Potok's books because they transport the reader to a different time and place. You feel like you're experiencing a different culture up close and personal.
Jhumpa Lahiri's collection of short stories, The Interpreter of Maladies, is another remarkable work that I heartily recommend. I don't know how she's able to craft such memorable characters and scenes in just a few short pages, but I wish I could do that!
Emily Yoffe, better known as Dear Prudence to Slate.com fans, makes the list because she's witty and smart. I was bummed to hear she's departing Slate for the Atlantic and will no longer be dispensing advice to the world. That she often starts sentences with "that" is something I admire, just because it makes for interesting reading :)
File under: NaBloPoMo Day 14
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