I worked as an editor until I joined the New Yorker , and so I’m an extremely tough self-editor. I also love being edited. I love a hard edit. It’s a privilege to be edited hard.
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Jia Tolentino
Writer
Canada; United States
Arts and letters
18 answers
I had help in the form of my friend and former editor Carrie Frye
Carrie helped me keep to a strict rhythm, but all the essays took shape in very idiosyncratic ways.
At a basic level, I think something is successful if I think I got myself anywhere new at all.
if there is anyone who’s telling you, “Here’s what you should do,” they are somehow lying to you
I actually did write a novel. I worked on it for five years, and then I shelved it because it was bad.
I feel some sort of chemistry with the subject.…The bar for me is when it’s interesting enough that I would talk about it on my own time.
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