Michael Chabon

From Michael Chabon's recent conversation with Bobby White for the Wall Street Journal:

WSJ: The Bay Area has been home to writers such as Jack London and Jack Kerouac, who were known for their wilderness and countercultural writing. What are Bay Area writers known for these days, and how has the local literary scene evolved?

Mr. Chabon: The diversity here makes it difficult to pin down what writers here are collectively known for, but I can say it's a very vibrant and fun and collegial scene. There are all sorts of social events that occur that allow a very fluid communication between people. Part of the collegiality comes from how there is an interconnectedness among the different institutions that put on literary events.

If I were pressed and had to point at something as the embodiment of San Francisco's literary culture, I would point to Dave Eggers and his operation, which is at the heart of the scene. (Mr. Eggers, author of the best seller "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," has founded a nonprofit focused on improving literacy.)

WSJ: What many of those writers in the past had in common was that they were poor. Can starving writers afford to be in the Bay Area these days?

Mr. Chabon: The cost of living...[read on]

--Marshal Zeringue