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Fran Lebowitz
Mar. 22nd, 2017 05:26 pmINTERVIEWER
What books are on your night stand now?
FRAN
There are no books on my night stand, because I’m a lifelong insomniac, so eight or nine years ago, I thought: “Don’t read in bed. It’s too stimulating. Watch TV instead. It’s boring.” And it’s true. TV is boring, but apparently not boring enough to make me fall asleep. So now instead of being overstimulated and awake, I’m bored and awake.
INTERVIEWER
What moves you most in a work of literature?
FRAN
I think it might be the word “move” that kind of perplexes me, because that’s a word connected with emotion. I don’t really seek out emotion when reading. The feeling that’s most important to me when reading is that I’m absorbed. I just want to be taken away. I really like being dazzled. That would be nice. The thing I care least about in reading is the story. I just don’t care that much about stories. That may have to do with being older. Tell me a story I don’t know.
But really, I read in order not to be in life. Reading is better than life. Without reading, you’re stuck with life.
INTERVIEWER
You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?
FRAN
None. I would never do it. My idea of a great literary dinner party is Fran, eating alone, reading a book. That’s my idea of a literary dinner party. When I eat alone, I spend a lot of time, before I sit down to my meager meal, choosing what to read. And I’m a lot better choosing a book than preparing a meal. And I never eat anything without reading. Ever. If I’m eating an apple, I have to get a book.
INTERVIEWER
Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What book did you feel you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
FRAN
I wouldn’t say disappointing or not good, but I will say that I have never enjoyed reading William Faulkner. I am not saying he’s not a great writer. I will just say that I prefer not to read him. I don’t enjoy reading him. I did not acquire the ability to not finish a book until I was 50 years old, which probably has to do with scarcity as a child: You have a book — finish it!
But I’ve made a number of decisions since then. If you don’t like a book, stop reading it. If you don’t like a movie, walk out. Life is not a jail sentence. When I used to be able to go into bookstores all the time, when there were lots of bookstores, I could read a few sentences and put it down. Now I hear about a book and get someone to order it on the internet, and when the book arrives I find I don’t like it. I only read for pleasure. I don’t have to finish a book. Sometimes, I don’t realize how little I care about a book. Sometimes, I start reading a book and then realize I forgot I was reading it. And it disappears under a pile of books.
INTERVIEWER
If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
FRAN
It would depend on who’s reading it to him.
-- Fran Lebowitz at NYT
What books are on your night stand now?
FRAN
There are no books on my night stand, because I’m a lifelong insomniac, so eight or nine years ago, I thought: “Don’t read in bed. It’s too stimulating. Watch TV instead. It’s boring.” And it’s true. TV is boring, but apparently not boring enough to make me fall asleep. So now instead of being overstimulated and awake, I’m bored and awake.
INTERVIEWER
What moves you most in a work of literature?
FRAN
I think it might be the word “move” that kind of perplexes me, because that’s a word connected with emotion. I don’t really seek out emotion when reading. The feeling that’s most important to me when reading is that I’m absorbed. I just want to be taken away. I really like being dazzled. That would be nice. The thing I care least about in reading is the story. I just don’t care that much about stories. That may have to do with being older. Tell me a story I don’t know.
But really, I read in order not to be in life. Reading is better than life. Without reading, you’re stuck with life.
INTERVIEWER
You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?
FRAN
None. I would never do it. My idea of a great literary dinner party is Fran, eating alone, reading a book. That’s my idea of a literary dinner party. When I eat alone, I spend a lot of time, before I sit down to my meager meal, choosing what to read. And I’m a lot better choosing a book than preparing a meal. And I never eat anything without reading. Ever. If I’m eating an apple, I have to get a book.
INTERVIEWER
Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What book did you feel you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
FRAN
I wouldn’t say disappointing or not good, but I will say that I have never enjoyed reading William Faulkner. I am not saying he’s not a great writer. I will just say that I prefer not to read him. I don’t enjoy reading him. I did not acquire the ability to not finish a book until I was 50 years old, which probably has to do with scarcity as a child: You have a book — finish it!
But I’ve made a number of decisions since then. If you don’t like a book, stop reading it. If you don’t like a movie, walk out. Life is not a jail sentence. When I used to be able to go into bookstores all the time, when there were lots of bookstores, I could read a few sentences and put it down. Now I hear about a book and get someone to order it on the internet, and when the book arrives I find I don’t like it. I only read for pleasure. I don’t have to finish a book. Sometimes, I don’t realize how little I care about a book. Sometimes, I start reading a book and then realize I forgot I was reading it. And it disappears under a pile of books.
INTERVIEWER
If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?
FRAN
It would depend on who’s reading it to him.
-- Fran Lebowitz at NYT
