Paul Auster Interview: How I Became a Writer

A rare visit at Paul Auster's brownstone home in Brooklyn. Auster shares the story of how he became a writer and how he works: “A good day's work is if I have one typed page at the end of the day, two is amazing, three is a miracle.”

New York novelist, Paul Auster, tells the story about how striking out on an autograph from the legendary baseball player Willie Mays led him to become a writer.

“After that incident at the age of 7, I always remember to keep a pen in my pocket, because you never know when you might need one.”

Auster is widely known for his use of blurring out the lines between realism and fiction in his writing, drawing on his own experiences: “The job of a writer is to keep his eyes open. In this video he reflects on what it means to be a writer and why a good day's work sometimes consist of crumbling up the written papers and throwing them into the trash."

When Auster was young he wanted to write something beautiful, but as he got older he discovered that this wasn't what it was all about: “The essence of being an artist is to confront the things you are trying to do, to tackle it head on, and if it is good, it will have its own beauty - an unpredictable beauty.”

Paul Auster (born 1947) is a highly acclaimed American novelist. He has published numerous novels such as the famous ‘The New York Trilogy’ (1987), ‘Moon Palace’ (1989), ‘Sunset Park’ (2010) and the autobiographical books ‘Winter Journal’ (2012) and ‘Report From the Interior’ (2013). He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife, novelist Siri Hustvedt.

Paul Auster was interviewed by Kasper Bech Dyg in Brooklyn, New York, December 2014.

Camera: Anders Urmacher
Produced and edited by: Kasper Bech Dyg
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2014

Supported by Nordea-fonden

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[HaleG]

Rest in peace, dear Paul Auster. You have been my favorite American writer and will remain so.
The world is losing a truly marvellous writer in you. 🖤
Much strength to his family.

[wardah]

"One day, in late September 1954...." said in Paul Aster's voice is enough reason for me to start writing that neglected story draft on my study table.

[EnligUlv]

His tone and rhythm of speech in delivering this childhood scene is just as artful as written prose. So masterful. “You got no pencil; can, t give no autograph. Sorry kid”. Reality was definitely more raw and unfiltered in the very recent past. We had no choice but to face “harshness” in real time, and from that, you grew up fast. A lot of fret, wincing, and hope goes along in delivering lessons to youth today. Now, if I could come up with the ultimate lesson to force my 31 year old son to pack up and move out of my basement without triggering him 😉

[vestbotrio]

This is a wonderful interview, I've seen it many times and found myself coming back to again and again.
Thank you Paul Auster for making art for us all <3

[andreabrambati]

An interview so similar to his books... That man always tell us something about reality while stories go on and vice versa. Absolutly amazing

[joeknecht]

Amazing! This is exactly why I love Paul Auster’s books - they’re beautifully written and his prose has a certain natural rhythm, which is why it is easy to enjoy! Kudos to Mr Auster for putting so much effort into it. So far I read Invisible and New York Trilogy and currently in the middle of Mr Vertigo. Will be getting into Music of Chance next. So yeah, I’m definitely a fan!

[strategysprints]

Two pages is great. Three is a miracle.

[jean-christopheglisse]

I am a french person, and I have always wanted to read an entire book in English. When you are not a native English speaker, it's very exhausting because of the idiomatic expressions, the phrasal verbs, the figures of speech. The "New York trilogy" is the first English book I managed to read entirely. I asked myself in retrospect why I had no particular difficulties reading a book in a language that is not mine?-was it the apparent simplicity of the style, a specific musicality?, I don't know, that remains a mystery for me. The most important thing is that Paul Auster involuntarily gave me confidence to read in English- and I have just started to read the great Gatsby....

[carfan]

You have a captivating way of telling your experience and memories. I have read several of your novels, important to me because of how you write your stories, not only because of what your stories consist of. So it was both a surprise and a pleasure to hear you point out your priorities when writing. The Dante anecdote is simply overwhelming !
I have no doubt it is very hard indeed to become a writer - novelist, poet - but what is a certainty is that it is a real treat to be a reader when one has the privilege to read works of writers of your quality. Thank you.

[marypowell]

I love happy endings, thanks for sharing.

[davidholmgren]

Fantastic interview...I gotta get back to my book!

[einyasha]

amazing interview! simplicity is the key)

[m.atabouti]

To all of you watching this documentary because you want to be a writer. You already are one. Maybe you will never be published and maybe your craft hasn’t developed yet, but no one except yourself can take away from you that you are a writer.

[toryconnolly]

Just read his "The New York Trilogy", when taking a break in my own writing and 4th-revision edit of a manuscript. Everytime I took a real break, I'd read another one of Paul Auster's detective stories.  But because he often writes about the lives of writers, it reminded me to get back to writing!  Once I could put his book down. //  Then a strange thing started happening, major elements of his book were already written in my non-fiction book:  "Boston",   "Columbus Square" (or Columbus Circle!), streets in Brooklyn and Manhattan, "April 1st", which was Resurrection Day (Easter)  in 2018.  And the synchronicities were building a life of their own.  // Then I was reading something he wrote about a friend and his father's death. And while I was reading it, sitting on a Brooklyn park bench,  two women walked by and said:  "His friend died yesterday.  My father went to his funeral today."  It was getting spooky!  But that's also Auster at his coincidental / synchronistic / parallel-universe best.

[aol]

The mucic, (or musicality of writing), carries meaning.

[DarthZeromus]

From 13:33 to 14:16, I felt he was describing my feelings for Cormac McCarthy's writing.

[gk]

That was fantastic 🖋 👏 👏 ♥ he has a. Robert mitchum thing going on there ✌️street wise and dogged 📚 🇮🇪 2020

[gardenglory]

this man has a very interesting though process towards writing. im fascinated by how writers think and work on their craft and the art of working with words and story telling. I think you can heal yourself with writing sometimes.

[nelsonjimenez]

I'm 27 . I dont know what I want to be. Never had anyone to ask me that. I'm thinking of learning to write cuz I'm a daydreamer. Idk. Amazing interview!

[gastondeveaux]

I could listen to this brilliant man speak for hours. So inspiring.