Write a Book - Throw it Away! - John Nichols - A Writer's Life 1

Writer John Treadwell Nichols offers an illuminating tour of his manuscript locker--describing the triumphs and heartbreaks of a writer's life. Nichols is highly regarded by intelligent critics and readers, and has published over 20 books including novels, essays, and natural history.

Yet by his own estimate, roughly only one in four of his novels reaches the printed page. A striking element in appreciating Nichols' career is his Sisyphean dedication to the writer's craft--rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. With Nichols as our bemused Virgil, tour the nine circles of a writer's life. If you have ever wondered what it takes to become a great writer--climb on board.

Nichols was born in Berkeley, California in 1940. His best known novels include the New Mexico Trilogy: The Milagro Beanfield War, The Magic Journey, and Nirvana Blues. Robert Redford directed The Milagro Beanfield War as a film. Two of his other novels -- The Wizard of Loneliness and The Sterile Cuckoo were also turned into major films.

Some of his best known nature and ecology writings include On the Mesa, The Last Beautiful Days of Autumn, Keep it Simple, and If Mountains Die. Nichols lives in Taos, New Mexico where he was interviewed in September 2001. part 1