the view from the cheap seats by neil gaiman

He allows himself a choice: write or do nothing. Several years ago, over a post-event dinner, Gaiman was asked how he manages to maintain such apparently blithe productivity. Moreover, he never seems to stress or strain or question his own motivations or abilities. His tone is that of the odd but kindly uncle explaining, in soothing tones, why you shouldn’t go down into the cellar after dark. This is probably why his work is so widely read and easily digested. Gaiman’s prose always favours congruence and coherence over density and complexity. Photograph: Steve Black/Rex Featuresīut one thing he has never been is obtuse. Neil Gaiman: his first published anthology of nonfiction contains 500-plus pages of essays, speeches, reviews, reportage and even the occasional interview.

In three decades he's published comic strips, novels, novellas, graphic novels, short stories, children's literature, verse, screenplays, journalism, television series, Doctor Who scripts, video games, Hitchhiker's Guide handbooks and even a Duran Duran biography. From high Gothic to English whimsy, from mythic works such as Sandman and American Gods to elegant chamber pieces such as Coraline or The Graveyard Book, Gaiman has worn so many shades of Technicolor dreamcoat that it's almost impossible to read everything he's done, never mind profess allegiance to it. The poet’s answer was succinct: speak clearly.Ĭlarity of thought and expression is a virtue Neil Gaiman has taken as a first principle since his apprentice years in the early 1980s. Here 'we can meet the writer full on' (Stephen Fry) as he opens our minds to the people he admires and the things he believes might just mean something - and makes room for us to join the conversation too.The present writer once asked a poet renowned for his public speaking style what his secret was. Of course, the real world continued to make up its own stories around him, and he has responded over the years with a wealth of ideas and introductions, dreams and speeches. Neil Gaiman fled the land of journalism to find truths through storytelling and sanctuary in not needing to get all the facts right. From Make Good Art, the speech that went viral, to pieces on artists and legends including Terry Pratchett and Lou Reed, the collection offers a glimpse into the head and heart of one of the most acclaimed writers of our time. THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS draws together myriad non-fiction writing by international phenomenon and Sunday Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.

A collection of speeches, articles, essays and introductions from Sunday Times bestselling author, commentator and craftsman Neil Gaiman.

The view from the cheap seats by neil gaiman