The Writer’s Life: “Current reading: “The Right Stuff “by Tom Wolfe. Here’s a stunning sentence: “A career in flying was like…”

“A career in flying was like climbing one of those ancient Babylonian pyramids made up of a dizzying progression of steps and ledges, a ziggurat, a pyramid extraordinarily high and steep; and the idea was to prove at every foot of the way up that pyramid that you were one of the elected and anointed ones who had the right stuff and could move higher and higher and even – ultimately, God willing, one day – that you might be able to join that special few at the very top, that elite who had the capacity to bring tears to men’s eyes, the very Brotherhood of the Right Stuff itself.”

I ask myself how long Mr. Wolfe worked at that sentence, at its structure, its language, its context in the book ,and I say to everyone who wants to write, “Go thou and do likewise.”

 

Comments

[Bernie English]

One of my all-time favorite books, The Right Stuff.

Yesterday I started listening to your Ulysses podcasts. Wonderful stuff. Thank you for doing it. I will follow you through the whole book, which I first read around 1963.

[Lue Ann Lott]

Another riveting, powerful Tom Wolfe novel, "A Man In Full" is a must read. Several aspects of the plot and one of the characters have roots in Alabama. I began Ireland just this morning and can hardly put it down. A dear friend introduced me to your work and I can honestly say, without a doubt, I am enjoying the read.