Our Events

The Writing Life

Daytime Talk Series: The Routines and Rituals of a Writer’s Life, with Anna Pitoniak

Thursday, December 15, 2022 - 3:30 PM | Whitridge Room | for members only | free of charge | registration required

Ernest Hemingway insisted on working at a cramped standing desk in the corner of his bedroom. Toni Morrison had to have her first cup of coffee while it was still dark out. Alice Munro walks three miles every day. Why are writers such creatures of habit? Does it actually make a difference? During this conversation, novelist and former editor Anna Pitoniak will discuss how routines and rituals are a vital part of the creative process—and how to incorporate them into your own writing practice.

Anna Pitoniak is the author of The Futures, Necessary People, and Our American Friend, which was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. Her fourth novel, an international spy thriller, will be published by Simon & Schuster in fall 2023. She worked for many years in book publishing, including as a Senior Editor at Random House, where she edited a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction authors. You can also find her semi-regular musings on the creative life on her blog and newsletter.


The Writing Life events in 2022 are generously underwritten by Jenny Lawrence.


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