Words are my matter

writings about life and books, 2000-2016 with a journal of a writer's week

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Ursula K. Le Guin: Words are my matter (2016)

316 pages

English language

Published Jan. 5, 2016

ISBN:
978-1-61873-134-0
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OCLC Number:
954719930

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4 stars (3 reviews)

3 editions

Review of 'Words are my matter' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I've enjoyed Ursula Le Guin's stories and the few interviews with her that I've heard or read. This was a worthwhile read too. The collection is broken up into 3 parts of roughly equal size:

Essays/Talks: Some good, thought-provoking stuff here. There are recurring themes for sure - notably gender treatment (as expected) and a chip-on-the-shoulder defense of sci-fi/fantasy work. The short piece "What It Was Like" (concerning abortion) continues to stick with me. It's a knotty, complex, sensitive topic and I've never heard a perspective quite like hers before.

Book Intros/Notes on Writers: It's fascinating to hear an author's take on other authors. My personal takeaway from this part is that I need to check out [a:José Saramago|1285555|José Saramago|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1497455560p2/1285555.jpg] for myself.

Book Reviews: This is very subjective stuff of course, and admittedly I like finding spots where I disagree (otherwise I start to suspect that I'm blindly nodding along). …

Subjects

  • Books and reading
  • Authorship
  • American Authors
  • Biography
  • Science fiction