Episode 117: Scott Ehrig-Burgess

Scott Ehrig-Burgess, the Library Foundation SD's Director of Community Engagement & Library Shops, has been working in bookstores and libraries for nearly three decades. As a result of it, he still has the ISBN of a Harry Potter book burned into memory, a number he can easily repeat if requested. Not that he wants to or anything. He just can. In this episode of The Written Scene, Scott discusses what a typical day on the job looks like, the importance of working in a creative job as a creative person, MFA program experiences, different energies between poetry and fiction, the ways self-publishing is easier and better than before, why it's harder for bookstores to say no to self-published books, first sentences and why they're important, summer reading as a kid and competing with arrogant classmates, reading movie screenplay adaptations in his youth, the difference between poetry and song lyrics, no age limit for going back to school and having no expiration age to becoming a writer, the different levels on the path of a published author, being intellectually and ethically consistent while still enjoying work by horrible people, and so much more.  Please be sure to subscribe, rate, review, and share this and all episodes of The Written Scene. Click or tap here to subscribe to our once-a-month newsletter. Music: Addis Ababa by Eshi Era