Table of Contents
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Content

The Iberian Horseshoe — A Journey

Part IV. North East

Paul Auster / Thanks for all that

Steve Porter

Global Fiction

First publication: November 2007

http://badosa.com/n250-75

Hand to Mouth is New York writer Paul Auster’s account of how he tried to support himself in the early days of his writing career. He never held down a proper job for more than seven months. I feel encouraged by that. My own personal best is just over a year in the one job and I realise I’m never going to get that carriage clock. At 32, it is time to accept that I’m not cut out for long term employment—if such a thing still exists. Instead, I’ll try to work more independently, taking on suitable short-term contracts here and there. Auster worked as an occasional translator, something I’m moving into myself.

I’ve been teaching for four years now. I fell into teaching as it was a convenient way to see a bit of the world. It can be a real drag with nippy children, exam preparation, boring paperwork and adults who sometimes expect to learn without putting in their own hours. But without them and without sobriety, I would not have been able to cross Iberia or find the stories to fill this book.