Episode 61 - Vendela Vida: Part 4

The final part of ThisWriting Life's cheerful conversation with Vendela Vida begins with wondering whether writing is a form of narcissism and ends with a discussion of parenthood.In between we explored:

• 'There are people doing good in the world...and I am just sitting here thinking my thoughts. That's why you need to keep a sense of humour about what you are doing.'
• Vida on her children's literacy programme, 826 Valencia, and The Believer magazine
• 'Writing can be very lonely...We read to know we're not alone, and we write to know we're not alone'
• the importance of helping young people develop writing skills
• 'If my own kids wanted to be a writer, I might say, Gosh, there are so many jobs out there.'
• on her early writing career: 'Trying to pay grad school loans, working a job, waitressing. 5 o'clock in the morning pretending to write to justify the rest of my existence. That is not fun...'
• on whether she had a choice to be a novelist
• how do writers (try to) make a living?
• how does Vida fit it all in?
• what's next?
• family and motherhood.

Two short Vida 'This Writing Life podcast-extras' will follow next week. Her latest novel is The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty, available in paperback from Atlantic.