Raymond Carver, Jr. (May 25, 1938 - August 2, 1988) was a short story writer and poet. Carver is considered a major force in the revitalization of the short story in the 1980s. Carver is my favourite author along with Raymond Chandler. I don't often put down a book and stare into the middle distance, but Carver does this to me frequently. He gives me shivers and shudders, he makes me glad I'm who I am and not one of his characters, yet he does it in such a gentle way-no gore, little violence, much is implied.
Carver Quotes:
It's been a continual series of starting-overs for me.
That's all we have, finally, the words, and they had better be the right ones, with the punctuation in the right places...
Carver cites Isaac Babel's dictum, "No iron can pierce the heart with such force as a period put in just the right place."
Isak Dinesen said that she wrote a little every day, without hope and without despair. I like that.
"Writers don't need tricks or gimmicks or even necessarily need to be the smartest fellows on the block. At the risk of appearing foolish, a writer sometimes needs to be able to just stand and gape at this or that thing - a sunset or an old shoe - in absolute and simple amazement."
His writing feels like that melancholy bittersweet of a mourning dove cooing at sunset. I feel sad every time I remember he is gone and that there will be no more from him.
There's more on the Raymond Carver page of Writing Tips at Moore Partners.
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