Z
Z is for Louis Zukofsky. For A.
Y
Y could be for Marguerite Young, whose work I have not read.
X
Are there writers whose second name starts with X? Yes, there are. I have not read their books.
W
W is for David Foster Wallace. For rendering into perfect prose the pain of being human in these times of media and technology.
V
V is for William T. Vollmann. No contemporary prose writer matches the vision of William the Blind and his willingness to confront the dark.
U
U is for Updike? No. I have never liked the work of Updike. Actually, I have never managed to finish one novel by him.
T
T is for Mark Twain. Or T is for Henry David Thoreau. I can’t decide.
S
S is for … I don’t know. John Steinbeck, Gertrude Stein, Jacques Servin, Rebecca Solnit, Gilbert Sorrentino?
R
R is for Ishmael Reed. For his crazy and funny novels.
Q
Should I pass on Q? I’m afraid so.