If you were standing in line for tryouts for American Idol, and they pulled you aside and sat you down with Bruce Springsteen to talk, that would be about how it felt to have a conversation with Tobias Wolff. For his many accomplishments in writing, he is considered a Literary Icon. In addition, he is a Vietnam Veteran, an Army Green Beret, a B.A. Graduate from Oxford (with honors), a reporter for the Washington Post, and currently directs the English and Creative Writing department at Stanford University.
Wolff was the featured guest for Judy Breen’s “Video Literacy Project.” Professor Breen is doing a series of video interviews being aired on San Quentin Television to promote literary reading. “Literary Work” is writing that is believed to have a depth of meaning that speaks to generations. Ms. Breen made the necessary connections for him to be among us.
Four Lifers, Felix Lucero, J.B. Wells, Joseph Diggs, and myself were asked to sit down with Wolff on July 21, 2008 and address questions to him.
Those on The Row and North Block may have already had a chance to see the taped interview done with him. For a person who’s able to fill a huge auditorium to hear him speak, Wolff showed himself to be very down to earth. For all you people thinking of writing your own memoir, “This Boy’s Life” paved the way for what is now “The” way a memoir should be written. He turned the telling of one’s life story from a boring dictation into an emotion-filled account that brings the reader in to relive the experience with him.
Wolff sat down with me after taping the interview, and gave me a chance to ask him some questions for SQ News. J.B. Wells also participated, and asked questions of his own. The most current of his many publications is “Our Story Begins,” a collection of short stories. In the category of short literary fiction, Wolff has won many awards; and has frequently been published in the New Yorker magazine. His writing is a personal favorite of this writer.
Wolff was asked about what he might share with anyone who is setting out to become an accomplished writer. He spoke of the need for patience, and that (writers) tend to be better critics than writers of our own work. He told of working for six months on one short story, and that a month’s effort in revision and editing is typical.
For those searching for authors to inspire them, he recommended Ernest Hemingway for his simplicity of style. Wolff also recommended Richard Price who wrote: “Lush Life, Clockers,” and “Wanderers” He believes that the greatest American writer was F. Scott Fitzgerald. When asked to give a shout out to everyone, Wolff said that, “Even though you’re living in a hard grim situation, take hope, and find goodness. Don’t concentrate on the shadows.”
On Aug 17, 2008, Wolff returned. Courtesy of Patten College University coordinator Jennifer Scaife, invited the writer back here to read. Choosing “Pharoses’ Army,” he presented a chapter that talked of his experience in Vietnam as a Lieutenant, and how fate seemed to pass him by that otherwise might have meant him dying in battle. The crowded Arts in Corrections room gave him a loud applause for some inspiring writing. At the end, he mentioned that he’ll be donating to the San Quentin Library a selection of his work. We hope to see him back here again soon.
