Louis Bayard Reading: Thursday, January 31st
Bayard teaches Creative Writing here at the George Washington University and is the author of The School of Night, The Black Towers, The Pale Blue Eye, and other critically acclaimed novels.
As a child, Professor Bayard said he learned a great deal from Charles Dickens and Mark Twain. Today Bayard is a well-known writer of historical thrillers and takes inspiration from David Mitchell who leaves Bayard “in a constant state of awe… He’s [,Mitchell’s,] taken the historical novel in new directions.” Out of curiosity, I asked if teaching has had any influence on Bayard’s writing. Bayard replied,
“I don’t know that teaching writing has affected my writing that much — I keep those compartments pretty separate — but it has helped me articulate some principles I’ve always carried around with me. And, of course, it broadens my experience by putting me in touch with young people, seeing what they’re reading and writing, how they approach life, etc. I spend a lot of my work life dwelling on the past, so my time at GWU gives me a welcome dose of modernity.”
It can be difficult to keep different projects separate, so what is his secret?
“I’ve been a freelance writer for a long time, so I’m used to compartments — i.e., stopping and starting, working on different things at different times. I liken it to spinning plates in the air. As long as the plates keep spinning, everything’s fine.”
