Re: Richard Ford
William Hochman (wh14@is9.nyu.edu)
Tue, 24 Aug 1999 09:40:48 -0400 (EDT)
Of authors currently publishing fiction today, I think Ford is among the
very best. I love being in his books because his "forty something"
narration seems intelligent and cogent to this almost 47 year old reader.
When I read Ford, I sense an intelligent, fair mind guiding mine.
I met Mr. Ford once and he was very kind and gentle. I think I sensed the
same ease with himself that LaughingMan mentioned in his post about Frank
Bascombe. I don't buy into such extrapolation as Ford characters being
older Holdens, and I don't think there's much of a case in linking Ford
and Salinger except in their common, Hemmingway heritage as male writers
in the late 20th century...in other words, I think they are close in time
and within a similar sense of what fiction may do, but I don't think Ford
is continuing Salinger characterizations and I do think Ford's work stands
alone.
BTW, Ford's most recent book, _Women with Men_ contains 3 longish short
stories and may be of interest to bananafish because of the use of length
in his "short stories."
will