Conversations with John L'Heureux

These conversations between John L'Heureux and Dikran Karagueuzian investigate the nature of writing fiction and the writer's need to write. They begin with a discussion of contemporary fiction, its virtues and vices and its distinguished practitioners. And from there to writing novels as opposed to short stories and on to the social life of the writer and the private life of L'Heureux. And finally they explore L'Heureux's years as Director of the Stanford Writing Program and his relationship with some of his better known students: Ron Hansen, Allan Gurganus, Tobias Wollf, Harriet Doerr, Kathryn Harrison, Alice Hoffman, Stephanie Vaughn, David Henry Hwang, Jeffrey Eugenides, ZZ Packer, Bo Caldwell among others... with a glance cast at what can and can't be taught in a creative writing program.

Since 1973, John L'Heureux has taught fiction writing, the short story, and dramatic literature in the English Department at Stanford University. He is the former Director of the Creative Writing Program, most recently 1993-94, 1996. He has served on both sides of the writing desk: as staff editor and contributing editor for The Atlantic and as the author of seventeen books of poetry, fiction and non- fiction. His stories have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, Harper's, The New Yorker, and have frequently been anthologized in Best American Stories and Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards.

Dikran Karagueuzian is the Director of CSLI Publications.

January 2011