Atwood on her Work: “Poems open the doors. Novels are the corridors”
Résumé
This in-depth interview with Margaret Atwood carried out by Christine Evain and Reena Khandpur over a two-day period in Ottawa May 2003, covers a broad spectrum of topics touching on a wide range of artistic influence. This volume also contains three fascinating essays (by Frank Davey, Shannon Hengen, Jagna Oltarzewska and Christine Evain) and one dazzling piece of critical fiction by John Moss. But the uniqueness of this volume lies in this unprecedented interview in which Atwood throws light on the creative process itself. Particularly striking is Atwood's ability to use metaphors which both clearly map out the writing process (poetic or fictional) and highlight the mystery of it. Atwood's patience and generosity are also clearly tangible in her effort to illustrate each one of her points until the specificity of the creative experience becomes a recognizable process which we are encouraged to experience for ourselves.