Jami Attenberg
Jami Attenberg
children believe holiday
I remember being banned from other houses as a younger child during the winter holiday season; I was the only one who didn't believe in Santa Claus, and I was ruining everyone's Christmas.
book criticism female
Maybe just as many women writers as male writers could be billed as the next great American writer by their publisher. Maybe book criticism sections could review an equal amount of female and male writers. Maybe Oprah could start putting some books by women authors in her book club, since most of her audience is women.
writing thinking contemporary-fiction
Most of my writer friends are women, and they're all extremely talented, so of course I think the state of contemporary fiction for women is pretty great. Which is to say there is a ton of amazing work out there. These women are writing hard. There's much to be said. We're on it, chief.
reading giving kind
I love doing readings. I could really give a crap about reviews. It's kind of about the readers.
apology past men
With apologies to all my past boyfriends, I never loved a man the way I loved my old apartment.
ants humans human-beings
We are human beings, not ants.
smart book perfect
Smart, sharp, and hilarious, Slaughterhouse 90210 is the perfect pick-me-up and never-put-me-down book.
book thinking trying
It's good to try stuff. I wrote a book that I threw away, and I think I just wrote it so I could try stuff in it and not be scared
updates whim my-own
In 1998, I started a blog, something I could control very easily and update at my own whim.
terrible please relatable
Please make me either relatable or terrible.
brain stories palate
I find that short stories are almost like palate cleansers or brain cleansers.
exercise sometimes
Sometimes, things are just exercises.
notebook morning thinking
What I try very hard to do is have an hour or so in the morning when I leave the house and don't have my phone with me. I'll go sit in a cafe and read and handwrite in my notebook and not be facing a screen. My head will be clear. I will be able to hear myself think. Because honestly for the rest of the day it's just screens, screens, screens.
cheese macaroni-and-cheese wintertime
In the wintertime I like macaroni and cheese.