TLC #1: The Instruction of Influence

Hello!

You’re getting this email because you signed up to attend The Long Conversation, a live show dedicated to the crafts of writing, reading, and editing, hosted by me, Rachel Jepsen, a person.

The first episode is this Friday, October 16th at 3 PM EST.

As part of the show, we’ll be breaking down The Rosary, an essay by Alexander Chee from his 2018 collection How to Write an Autobiographical Novel.

The conversation will probably be more fun if you’re familiar with the text — so we’ve uploaded a PDF of the section we’ll be discussing here. You can buy the book here, or you can order from a local bookstore—you can find yours here.

What to think about

I want you all to think about the idea of “influence” when you’re reading—keep that word alive in your mind. Mark any places you see that concept coming up, and mark any other passages you want to discuss.

Keep in mind, too, the devices that he’s using to tell this story—is it history? Instructional? Diary?

What’s going on?

WHAT IS GOING ON???

See you on Friday!