Don't you just love it when you discover a 'new' writer, who isn't new at all and has a huge back catalogue? Someone on here mentioned a book called How to Read Like a Writer by Francine Prose (sorry I can;t remember who it was, but thank you!). I bought this and also picked up her new novel, Blue Angel, which I'm reading first.
It's about a creative writing teacher and his relationship with a student and is one of the best things I've read in a while. Her writing is sharp as a tack and very funny. Seems she is a huge literary star in the US but I'd never heard of her. And she's written TEN novels! Woohoo!!! Just thought I'd pass this on.

Oooo, I've had her novels on my list to try because I adore How To Read Like A Writer. Good to know that it'll be worth it when I get to them. Now, don't read all ten too fast, Caroline, or you'll run out... Though at least she's still writing - nothing worse than discovering a dead writer and knowing that you'll come to the end and there'll be No More.

If anyone wants to know what How To Read Like A Writer is like, I blogged about it here: http://emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/2007/08/at-last-a-real-.html

Emma

Emma! It must have been you, so thank you. I think you also recommended that book The Wood for the Trees, now I think about it, which was also brilliant. So keep 'em coming!

You're right, I must try not to gorge or I will only make myself sick

Hope you enjoy the novels when you get round to them.

Well, I think it was Stefland who mentioned it recently on the forums, but I think it was my blog that he said he'd found out about it on. (now there's a sentence with too many prepositions at the end...)

I think it's Karma, because I'd never heard of it till a writing/teaching friend mentioned it, and the next day I walked into my local indie bookshop, which is perfectly formed but small, thinking I'd order it. And there was a US import on the shelf - must have been a cancelled order.

Emma