Youngstown State Oral History Program - Leigh Brackett

A brilliant and wide-ranging interview:

"H: That's true. You carry these things around with you all the time. Very often, I get this far-away look and Ed will say, "You're thinking, aren't you?"
R: Do you try on your thoughts with each other?
H: Yes, a good bit. Our marriage almost broke up shortly
after it began because I had an order for a novel from
Startling Stories. It was a whole $800 and boy did
we need it.
E: What year was this?
H: This was in 1947; we were married at the end of 1946. I sat down at my typewriter and wrote the opening chapters. I handed them to Ed, he read it and said, "This is great. Where do you go from here?" I said, "I haven't the foggiest idea." He said, "That is a so-and-so way to write a story." Right there, we discovered we couldn't collaborate too well. So, I went on with it. Then I said, "I think I'm getting into a little bit of trouble here." He said, "Let me read it." So he read it and he said, "Back of chapter two, put in a Dhuvian--a Dhuvian being a strange alien character--on the ship." I could have killed him. The trouble was, he was right. So I had to throw away four chapters and start over again.
Thank you for this interview. We really feel it's been a privilege. We've enjoyed it so much.
You're so welcome. I hope I have been helpful to you. I'm flattered that you came all this way."

"Authors: Brackett, Leigh.
Roderick, Juanita.
Earnhart, Hugh G.
Title: Science fiction writing
Date Issued: 1975
Description: "Experiences as a Writer."
Transcript of interview taped on October 7, 1975. Tape length 63 minutes. Tape stored in History Department."

http://hdl.handle.net/1989/803


5 out of 5

http://digital.maag.ysu.edu:8080/jspui/bitstream/1989/803/2/OH19.pdf