Further memories from yet another student of William Gaddis during the time when WG taught at Bard.
Thank you for Jon Fain's reminiscence about William Gaddis in A Student With Mr. Gaddis.
I was also fortunate to have William Gaddis as my mentor/creative writing adviser for my Senior Thesis project at Bard in either fall 1976 or spring 1977. Below is the short narrative of my experience, as quoted in Joseph Tabbi's excellent book Nobody Grew but the Business: On the Life and Work of William Gaddis:
"At the time, I was working on a novel with the pretentious title Awake, which I imagine, if it had ever been published, would have put most people asleep. I looked at it a few years ago, and it certainly had its soporific charms.
In any case, Gaddis was pleasant and patient with me during our weekly meetings. He made suggestions for editing, and talked generally about my work, but thirty-five years later, I do not remember the specifics.
One event I do remember, however, is a story he once told me about what he did whenever he was stuck in the writing process. I go around the house and find a small chore to do, he told me. For example, it might be a broken doorknob. I fix the doorknob and then I get back to work.
It was only years later that I understood what he meant. The metaphor was so embedded, I do not think even he saw it. Just as his subconscious mind had supplied the answer to his writing problem by doing a household chore, his writing mind had supplied the metaphor that I needed as a beginning writer. Fixing a problem in writing is like opening a door. The door handle has to work, though, and sometimes it needs to be fixed.
After I graduated from Bard, I saw William Gaddis one more time, at a reading in New York City. After the reading, I went over and introduced myself. He immediately remembered me, and without prompting on my part, he mentioned the novel I had been working on. Now that's dedication."
Again, an interesting and reflective essay by Jon Fain. It brought back memories.
Best,
Alan Bigelow