All Member Spotlights
Member Spotlights

Member Spotlight: Judith Warner

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world?
First, writing was a way to enter the world of books I’d loved since childhood. Then it was way to make a name. Then it was a way to make a living. And now, it’s a way to try to bridge the gaps between us. (And it’s the only way I know to make a living.) In today’s world, we need connection more than ever.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block?
Luvox.

What is your favorite time to write?
First thing in the morning, which for me is around 8:30am. And then whenever a thought comes, which could be at incredibly inconvenient times. Usually in the shower. The worst time to try to write is 4:30 in the morning. I wake up with thoughts that seem absolutely brilliant and urgent, and they’re garbage.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers?
“Just have fun.” My former boss at the New York Times op-ed page said this to me when I was going through a period of feeling blocked, and it really was the best possible advice. I try to reconnect with it when I feel I’m in a rut. It’s very freeing, both emotionally and creatively.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age?
Again, the opportunity to make people feel less alone. To promote understanding and, I hope, compassion.

Judith Warner’s And Then They Stopped Talking To Me: Making Sense of Middle School is out now with Crown Publishing.