Words Are My Matter gathers talks, essays, introductions to beloved books, and book reviews by Ursula K. Le Guin, one of our foremost public literary intellectuals. A must-listen collection, Words Are My Matter is a manual for investigating the depth and breadth of contemporary fiction—and, through the lens of deep considerations of contemporary writing, a way of exploring the world we are all living in.
"We need writers who know the difference between production of a market commodity and the practice of an art. Developing written material to suit sales strategies in order to maximize corporate profit and advertising revenue is not the same thing as responsible book publishing or authorship." *
Le Guin is one of those authors, and this is another of her moments. She has published more than sixty books ranging from fiction to nonfiction, children's books to poetry, and has received many lifetime achievement awards, including the Library of Congress Living Legends award.
* From "Freedom," a speech in acceptance of the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
Download and start listening now!
“What [Le Guin] says of poetry—‘Its primary job is simply to find the words that give it its right, true shape’—might well be said of all the shapely pieces in this generous, edifying, and invaluable collection.”
—
Booklist (starred review)