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Anna
Quindlen Offers Thoughts on Writing, Feminism and Praise for
Barnard College at Books Etc. Event
 Barnard's
Books Etc. literary series on Wednesday evening, Nov.
5, hosted Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author Anna
Quindlen, a Barnard alumna, who read from her latest bestselling
novel, Blessings, and offered her thoughts and wisdom
on writing, feminism, motherhood, the value of good editing,
"having it all," and her Barnard education.
Speaking to an audience of more than 500 students, alumnae and
fans of her Newsweek magazine column and bestselling
novels, Quindlen opened the event with what she called a "public
service" announcement about her alma mater. She recalled
an editor early in her career as a journalist who advised that
she could either be a journalist or a fiction writer, but not
both, which he foresaw as a frustrating and ultimately unsuccessful
career path. Her reaction to this advice? "I told him that
he did not focus enough on the fact that I went to Barnard College,"
she said. "The notion that one had to choose, that one
had to be either or, that one had to tailor one's aspirations
to suit some comfort level of the greater society, was unacceptable
to me."
Dean
of the College Dorothy Denburg and Anna Quindlen |
Quindlen,
who is the newly named chair of the Barnard Trustees, described
herself as "a Barnard graduate…a feminist, a Catholic,
a liberal and I was, at one time, an affirmative action hire
at The New York Times. All of those things have come
into play in the career that I've had since I left this place."
She offered praise for the education she received at Barnard,
saying "Barnard gave me the confidence to say, 'This is
what I believe.'"
Barnard President Judith Shapiro, in introductory remarks, said
of Quindlen: "Her beloved books are often dog-eared from
being read and re-read, passed among friends, given as gifts."
The excerpt Quindlen read from Blessings was a vivid description
of the main character, Lydia Blessings, before her death. She
followed that with a reading of her Newsweek "Last
Word" column from April 2003 titled "Sounds of Silence"
in which she sharply criticized a pervasive atmosphere in the
country against speaking out against the government in a time
of war.
Quindlen then took questions from the audience, offering her
opinion on topics ranging from the writing process to motherhood
to how her Barnard education shaped her career.
President
Judith Shapiro introduces Anna Quindlen. |
On that last
topic, the former writing fellow said: "I was in the writing
program here at Barnard and it was huge for me. It was really
useful to have a read aloud and critique process. It was just
so uniquely painful," she quipped. "And yet it's really
the lodestone of what you're going to be doing as a writer for
the rest of your life. The writing program here was just so
valuable to me."
Quindlen reminisced about former professors who encouraged her
to keep sending her writing to magazines, even as rejection
slips pile up. It was this advice, she said, that helped her
succeed as a cub reporter at The New York Times when
she was hired at 23 years old. Her climb to national recognition
as an author began in earnest when she penned the groundbreaking
"Life in the 30s" column at The Times, in which
she wrote about personal subjects, such as her home life and
caring for young children. Over the next 25 years, Quindlen
rose to become one the premiere columnists in the country and
perceptive novelists whose works include Object Lessons
(1991), One True Thing (1994), Black and Blue
(1998) and Blessings (2003). She won the 1992 Pulitzer
Prize for commentary for her New York Times column, "Public
and Private,"
A Barnard trustee since 1983, she became chair of the board
this fall. Quindlen has been a generous supporter of the Barnard
Writing Fellows Program, which offers exceptional students seminars
in the teaching of writing and the opportunity to become peer
tutors.
A book based on a speech she gave to a high school graduating
class, A Short Guide to a Happy Life (2000), has sold
over one million copies. Thinking Out Loud, a collection
of her New York Times op-ed columns, was a national bestseller.
Quindlen
signs a book for a student. |
Quindlen
credited her three children for expanding her creativity as
a writer. She encouraged one student who asked whether it's
really possible to "have it all" by striking a balance
in life. "I think it eminently possible to have both family
and career since I've had both for the last 20 years. Do you
have to make certain concessions? Yes, I did. There were assignments
I didn't take, there were jobs I didn't do. Not because I couldn't
have taken them or done them, but because I really felt where
the action was, was at home." She also admitted that, "I
don't really feel I missed anything in my career, either."
Another student wanted to know how to combat writer's block,
to which Quindlen offered sound, practical advice. "The
only cure for feeling that you can't write is to sit down and
write. Give up the idea that you're going to write well. I certainly
have. Just think that your going to write until something happens."
How do you know when you're finished writing? "When it's
due," Quindlen quipped.
Quindlen rounded out the discussion by citing her upbringing
as a large factor in her current beliefs and success.
"My family ethos pushed me to Barnard and my Barnard ethos
pushed me towards fiction writing and opinion-column writing,"
said Quindlen, who later signed books as students and fans lingered
for talk and advice.
Barnard's Books Etc. series was launched this fall to
recognize the College's remarkable community of faculty, alumnae
and visiting writing instructors. The series
has already included readings and remarks by Lynne Tillman,
Alice Walker and Jhumpa Lahiri, and will continue on November
18 with a reading by Ursula Hegi.
—Glenn Slavin
To
read the Columbia Spectator on the event, "Quindlen Praises
BC Education, Professors: The Pulitzer-Prize winner was a
speaker in the Books Etc. series," click
here.
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