4 vragen aan Lydia Davis, schrijver van Our Strangers / Onze vreemden
22 september 2023Nu in onze boekhandels: de nieuwe verhalenbundel van Lydia Davis, Our Strangers - koop hem nu gesigneerd! 5 oktober verschijnt de vertaling van Peter Bergsma, Onze vreemden, en vandaag publiceren we Davis’ antwoorden op onze vragen. Over wanneer ze leest, over Barbara Pym, J.R.R. Tolkien en C.S. Lewis, en over A.L. Snijders. ‘Every story of his is different—thoughtful, surprising, and stimulating. And he has written so many—we are fortunate that he left such a bountiful treasure-trove of work.’
When do you read?
I read difficult books first thing in the morning; I read easier books last thing at night, unless they will keep me awake, in which case I might read more boring books to put myself to sleep; I read magazine articles over lunch if I'm alone; I read in the late afternoon if I'm having a rest. And if I've had a particularly exhausting day, then sometimes on the next day I will simply put my feet up on the sofa and read all day long.
- Lees een fragment uit Lydia Davis' De schoonheid van weerbarstig proza
- Lees Emmi Schumacher over De taal van de dingen in huis
- Lees Daan Stoffelsen over Bezoek aan haar man
- Lees een fragment uit A.L. Snijders' Grasses and Trees, vertaald door Lydia Davis
- Lees Stoffelsen over Grasses and Trees
- en over A.L. Snijders' Tat Tvam Asi
- Lees ook een fragment uit Tat Tvam Asi
- Lees Stoffelsen over Een handige dromer
- Lees fragmenten uit
- Lees ten slotte over Guillaume Deneufbourg, Snijders' Franse vertaler, over zijn vertaling toe van twee bundels ZKV's
What book comforts you?
The novels of Barbara Pym, which are gentle and funny, set in a time and place that feel safe.
What book turned you into a reader?
The fantastic novels of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, written for children, were a wonderful escape and certainly made me into the kind of child reader who stays up late reading with a flashlight under the covers.
Who is your favourite Dutch author?
Of course, A.L. Snijders is my favourite Dutch author. I have translated many of his very short stories into English and they have been collected in a book called Night Train published in English six years ago by a fine publisher, New Directions. Every story of his is different—thoughtful, surprising, and stimulating. And he has written so many—we are fortunate that he left such a bountiful treasure-trove of work.
Could you pinpoint the moment you decided to start writing this book?
The book contains stories from the last nine years. I am always writing and gathering stories, and then from time to time I see that I have enough for a book. Then the work of organizing the book begins!
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