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| John Dufresne |
He was direct, genuine, funny and generous, and he
mesmerized the audience.
Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of learning about
the craft of writing by reading John’s books and participating in his
workshops, most recently at the Rosemary Beach Conference for Writers in June
2012.
A 2012-13 Guggenheim Fellow, John teaches in the MFA
program at Florida International University
in Miami .
Alongside his five novels and two short story collections, he has produced two
books on writing and creativity: “The Lie That Tells a Truth: A Guide to
Writing Fiction” and “Is Life Like This? A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in
Six Months.”
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| John and other authors at Rosemary Beach |
(It’s not a spoiler to tell you that John’s first
rule of writing is to sit your rear in the chair and write. His second rule is
to write every day.)
John will be back in the area Thursday, Aug. 8,
signing copies of his latest novel, “No Regrets, Coyote,” from 4 to 5 p.m. at
Sundog Books in Seaside .
The new novel introduces the protagonist Wyle
“Coyote” Melville, who “reads” crime scenes in a way that even Sherlock Holmes
would envy, according to advance reviews. It’s the sort of Florida noir you might expect from the
best-selling author of “Louisiana Power & Light” and “Love Warps the Mind a
Little.”
If you attend one of his many workshops held across
the country, you’re liable to hear him say things like, “Writing is not hard.
Writing well is.” Or, “Fiction is only about trouble. Everything that you don’t
want to happen to yourself, your family or your friends should happen to your
characters.”
His critiques are constructive and supportive.
Meaning, you might hear him say, as I did, “Don’t be afraid of failure. All
works of art are failures. All we can do is try to fail better next time.”
But what really endeared John to me happened a few
years after our first meeting. My then-teenage daughter had accompanied me to Seaside to hear John read
at an event closing a writers conference he had led in the town; a year or two
later, he was reading in Rosemary Beach, and when we got the chance to talk he
asked about my children, specifically recalling how his wife, Cindy, had enjoyed
talking with my daughter.
Maybe that makes me an easy mark, but whatever. You
may be a literary giant, but if you really want to impress me, remember my kids.
Peace.
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Author Event
- Who: John Dufresne, author of “No Regrets, Coyote”
- When: 4-5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8
- Where: Sundog Books,
- Website: JohnDufresne.com
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