... as often as fiction writers like to discuss the “musicality” of their prose—we’re always reminded of how important it is to read it aloud—it’s unusual to see a writer concerned about that to the point where it’s the first part of the drafting process.
When William Kennedy read from his latest novel, Chango's Beads and Two-Tone Shoes, at the Library recently, I was surprised how much his reading caused me to understand the book better. His tempo and phrasing sounded different from what I had heard in my mind's ear. I realized that I had not got it right, and when I was asked to review the book, I read it again.
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