Tales of Writerly Obsession

Lizzie Buehler is a translator (The Disaster Tourist, Art On Fire, Table for One) and the author of The Obsessed, out today from Putnam. Below, she recommends three autobiographical tales of writerly obsession. I Love Dick by Chris KrausThis novelist’s protagonist (also named Chris) becomes infatuated with her husband’s friend, Dick, but instead of trying to suppress her feelings, she succumbs to them completely—talking at length about the fixation with her husband, beginning an epistolary correspondence with Dick, and ultimately turning her entire life into a sort of performance art centered on her obsession. I love how Kraus depicts obsession as a vehicle by which someone can discover and empower herself. How Should a Person Be? by Sheila HetiThe object of obsession here isn’t a specific person, but rather the titular question. Heti’s protagonist is desperately searching for an answer. How does a young artist live their life without losing their creativity, curiosity, or sanity? The nebulous and meandering nature of her searching is what makes this book so satisfying. I think every lost twentysomething artist should read it. An I-Novel by Minae Mizumura, translated by Juliet Wint...