Member-only story
On Fashion and Writers
In Praise of the Ugly Man-Sweater
I used to think full-time writers spent their days holed up in musty basement suites or drafty garrets, seldom leaving the comfort of their confines except to buy necessary things like toilet paper or a 12-pack of Mr Noodle.
And when they did leave their homes, I figured they dressed carelessly, were often rude to shopkeepers and yelled at children who rode their bikes on the sidewalk. This is because of movies; writers in films are often portrayed as reclusive, dysfunctional freaks.
But it would seem that many writers spend time being very social indeed: tweeting, TikTokking, blogging, getting “Linked In,” Skyping, Instagramming, and stirring it up weekly on writers' forums.
They get out of their sweatpants quite regularly, facing real people out there in the real world. They busy themselves with school visits, author interviews, book signings, and readings and do so with passion and enthusiasm.
I’ve watched them, and it’s all very daunting. Most of these writers are super articulate and lovely and can quote famous dead people with perfect composure and impeccable timing.
When did this happen? Who changed the rules? What happened to the bed head and the spaghetti stains on the shapeless “writing” sweater?
