From Deseret News archives:
Reading points novelist in the 'write' direction
Ideas for her next piece of writing often come from the books she reads, Robinson told audience members Friday at a Utah Valley State College reading of her recently published novel, "Gilead."
"Over time, a precipitation occurs, and some of whatever it is I've ingested comes out of that," she said.
History, theology and science all interest her, she said, but she steers clear of history books written from a modern perspective.
"I'm a terrible skeptic," she said. "If I want to find out about the 19th century, I read things that were written in the 19th century."
When it comes to science, Robinson keeps it simple. She recommended "The Whole Shebang," by Timothy Ferris and "The Elegant Universe," by Brian Greene.
Books such as these inspired her before writing "Mother Country," which discusses nuclear pollution in Britain.
Her novels "Gilead," which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005, and "Housekeeping" are a far cry from scientific explorations, as are her other favorite reads.
"Moby Dick" takes top place on Robinson's list of best books and, after a short reflection, she picked "The Yearling" as her childhood favorite.
As a teacher at the University of Iowa, Robinson said she picks books she thinks will interest her students. Right now, she's teaching from the works of Faulkner and Melville.
