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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment

‘Getting a book idea feels like a buzz in the head’: Paul Auster – a life in quotes

Paul Auster.
Paul Auster. Photograph: Ulf Andersen/Getty Images

On writing

I’ve always written by hand. Mostly with a fountain pen, but sometimes with a pencil – especially for corrections. If I could write directly on a typewriter or a computer, I would do it. But keyboards have always intimidated me. I’ve never been able to think clearly with my fingers in that position. A pen is a much more primitive instrument. You feel that the words are coming out of your body and then you dig the words into the page. Writing has always had that tactile quality for me. It’s a physical experience.

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