Profound: June 2019 Archives

How to write and live: advice from Ray Bradbury | bleuwater

"Ray Bradbury was amazing. He reminded me of a young child, finding wonder in the world. He had the ability to stay young at heart and observe the world as though seeing little things for the first time. I loved his story of how he wrote Fahrenheit 451 in the basement of the UCLA library at a rental typewriter for 10 cents for a half hour. He said he was literally a 'dime novelist.' It gave me courage and the belief that we can do anything -- if you want it badly enough.

"'Garbage in, garbage out,' he said. He advised us to turn off the TV. Don't watch the news. He said they were selling soap and there was little or no good news and it would rot our minds. Instead, 'Read the Bible, a poem and an essay every day.'"

I think Ray Bradbury would have approved of a Great Books curriculum like the New Program of St. John's College as proper training for an author.