Listicles, tweets, your ex’s Facebook status, picture of dogs wearing costumes — the internet offers no shortage of entertaining stuff to look at. But there’s plenty of substantial writing out there, too, the pieces you spend a few minutes reading and a long time thinking about after you’ve closed the tab. In this weekly feature, Flavorwire shares the best of that category. This time around: editing while you work, Hilton Als on Flannery O’Connor’s prayers, and more.
“Why Writers Are Opening Up About Money (or the Lack Thereof)” by Anna North, New York Times
It used to be something of a faux pas for a writer to talk about their personal finances. Sure, they could put a veil on their stories and call them fiction, but a new trend is emerging: plenty of writers want to share everything they can about how much they make, and what exactly they do with the money.
“Making Sense of Suicide With Sylvia Plath” by Katie Crouch, BuzzFeed
“I’m thinking about suicide. Not my own — not that. I’m screwed up, sure. I know about the yawning vortex.”
Crouch’s lovely piece on writing and trying to live in a big city, which juxtaposes personal moments with the life and tragic death of the renowned poet and Bell Jar author, is a fantastic read.
“Genius Breaking Through” by Hilton Als, New York Review of Books
In case you didn’t get enough of Als’ writing about Flannery O’Connor in his most recent book, White Girls, he follows it up with this review of her Prayer Journal.
“Why You Should Edit While You Write” by Lincoln Michel, Electric Literature
Do you edit while you write, or do you wait until you finish to go over your work? Lincoln Michel argues in favor of fixing up your sentences while you’re in the middle of whatever it is you’re writing.