The World Split Open

Marking the 30th anniversary of the nonprofit Literary Arts in Oregon, this collection of 10 lectures from celebrated writers reanimates the humanistic argument that, far from being a “marginal cultural activity,” the production of serious literary fiction is an essential task. 

Since 1984, Literary Arts has welcomed many of the world’s most renowned authors and storytellers to its stage for one of the country’s largest lecture series. Sold-out crowds congregate at Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall to hear these writers discuss their work and their thoughts on the trajectory of contemporary literature and culture.  With eloquence, humility, and humour, contributors reflect both on their own creative processes and on literature as a whole. The beautiful language these accomplished authors employ exemplifies the unteachable quality of the true “tricks of craft.” 

Whether it’s Wallace Stegner exploring how we use fiction to make sense of life or Ursula K. Le Guin on where ideas come from, Margaret Atwood on the need for complex female characters or Robert Stone on morality and truth in literature, Edward P. Jones on the role of imagination in historical novels or Marilynne Robinson on the nature of beauty, these essays illuminate not just the world of letters but the world at large.

Serious readers should find a welcome reminder in this collection that great literature emerges from a receptive mind engaged with the “unanswerable questions” of human character and experience.