Writer’s Voice: October 6, 2006

Francine Prose

Spencer Overton

We talk with Spencer Overton about his book, STEALING DEMOCRACY: The New Politics of Voter Suppression. And Francine Prose talks about READING LIKE A WRITER: A Guide for People Who Love Books and For Those Who Want to Write Them.

Law professor Spencer Overton says the election system is rigged. It’s not just problems with electronic voting machines, as we’ve talked about on Writer’s Voice in previous shows in our Election 2006 series: it’s a myriad of election practices and bureaucratic hurdles, Overton says, that determines who votes and how votes are counted. And he has a lot of real-life stories to illustrate his point. Tune in to hear those stories — and some of his prescriptions for reform.

Also…what’s the best way to learn to write? Do you have to spend thousands of dollars on an MFA program? What in the world did writers do before the Iowa Writers’ Workshop? They read good books, says Francine Prose. She’s taught writing by turning her students on to wonderful literature. In her new book, READING LIKE A WRITER, she shares her insights with us. Tune in for some inspiring conversation with Prose, whether you are writing the next great American novel…or not.

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