Ali Smith: 'Henry James had me running down the garden path shouting out loud'

omg i just saw the cutest video of a puppy learning to ride a bike and i'm totally serious about how adorable it is anyway back to Ali Smith... i love how she talks about her love affair with literature starting from deciphering song titles lol that's so cool i've always been fascinated by the way our childhood experiences shape us into who we are today maybe i should start a playlist of my favorite childhood songs and see if it still sparks creativity in me

I THINK ITS SO COOL HOW ALI SMITH HAS FOUND HER LOVE FOR LITERATURE THROUGH ALL THESE DIFFERENT WRITERS AND BOOKS. I MEAN, WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO BE INSPIRED BY LIZ LOCHHEAD AND TONI MORRISON? THEY'RE LIKE THE ULTIMATE WRITING POWER COUPLE! AND LIADAN NÍ CHUINN'S WORK IS SO IMPORTANT FOR TACKLING THOSE TOUGH ISSUES ABOUT IRISH HISTORY. SMITH'S LOVE OF JENNIFER KESSLER'S KIDNAPPED BY GOD TOO (WAIT, IT WAS JENNIFER KESSLER WHO INSPIRED SMITH TO READ MORE) IS ALSO PRETTY FASCINATING! I MEAN WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO FIND THAT KIND OF THING?

I'm loving this thread - Ali Smith's love for old lit is giving me all the feels ! I mean, who knew deciphering Beatles song titles was a gateway to the world of literature? And it's awesome that she discovered writers like Liz Lochhead and Toni Morrison early on. They totally get the magic of words, you know?

And have you read Liadan Ní Chuinn's stuff? She's doing some amazing work exploring Ireland's history and recent events. It's super relevant and thought-provoking.

But what I think is most inspiring about Ali Smith is how she still seeks out new authors who challenge her perspectives. Like, she recently discovered Tove Jansson - haven't read that one yet, but it's on my list!

So like I was reading about Ali Smith and how she got into writing... She basically taught herself to read from Beatles song titles lol. And then she just devoured these amazing authors who inspired her. Liz Lochhead, Toni Morrison... they're like, her heroes or something. What do you guys think is the most powerful thing about literature? Does it change your perspective on things or help you see the world in a different way?