The novelist and short story writer Charles Baxter explains what makes a good writing day, the dark experiences from the book tour trail, and why he’s scared of spilling salt. By Noah Charney.
Author Charles Baxter in Minneapolis on Feb. 28, 2008. (Hannah Foslien/AP)
Where did you grow up?
Where did you grow up?
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, and outside of it, on 40 acres of half-hearted farmland outside of Excelsior, Minnesota.
Where and what did you study?
I received a B.A. from Macalester College and a Ph.D. in English at the State University of New York at Buffalo. I took many English courses, some history and philosophy classes, but not enough classes in foreign languages and literatures; that was one of my bigger mistakes. It was common among my generation. We didn’t learn enough languages.
Where do you live and why?
After living in Michigan for thirty years, I live in Minneapolis now. The city feels like home to me, and it has an active cultural scene.
Of which of your books or projects are you most proud?
The novella Believers in the book of the same title. The scene of the narrator visiting his father near the end of the novella is the best prose fiction I’ve ever written.
Describe your morning routine.
Rise and shine, orange juice, hardboiled egg, oatmeal, New York Times. Then coffee, shower, indecision, efforts at writing and reading followed by aboulia.
What is a distinctive habit or affectation of yours?
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