Know Your (Grown Up) Mighty Writers: Lauren McCutcheon
Grew up: “In Jenkintown, a small town at the north end of Broad Street. The best—and worst—thing about Jenkintown is its size. In high school, my whole grade had only 29 people. So everyone knew everyone’s business. That stunk. On the other hand, because Jenkintown was so small, all of my classes were really small, too, so teachers could give students a lot of attention. My favorite teacher was Mr. Hench; he was really strict, and could be very critical. He made us write a ton. Every paper had to fit a ‘Hench’ format. A lot of students didn’t like him, but I tried really hard (seriously, I think I cried over every single paper I had to write!). In the end, it paid off: I still use lessons I learned in his class in my job.”
Kind of books I liked to read: “Books about kids my own age. When I was in elementary school, I loved funny poems by Shel Silverstein and books by Beverly Cleary, who wrote stories about two sisters named ‘Beezus’ and Ramona Quimby. Ramona was always getting in trouble, constantly hurting herself, and always crying, kind of like me. I liked mysteries, too, like Encyclopedia Brown and Nancy Drew, even though Nancy Drew seemed really old-fashioned and Encyclopedia Brown was way smarter than I could ever be. In high school, I tried reading more grown-up books, like ‘Gone with the Wind’ and ‘The Sun Also Rises,’ but I honestly didn’t ‘get’ them the way I got books about kids my own age.”
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“Talk it out. If you’re stuck… just say aloud what you’re thinking to a friend or family member.”
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Person who inspired me to write: “My mom is a really good writer. When she was in high school, she wrote an essay about her family, and the essay got into a local newspaper. My mom put up with all my tantrums about English papers and encouraged me with every story I have to write for work (because even though I’m officially grown up, I still complain to her that writing is too hard for me, and that no one will ever like what I write). Writers need supportive people around them—family members and friends who are patient and who understand how hard it can be, especially if you’re writing not just for yourself, but for other people. My sisters are good writers, too. One writes really to the point: She can turn a complicated thought into a simple and clear sentence. The other one is more poetic; she can write about things close to her heart. When our dad died, that sister wrote a speech for the three of us to make at his memorial service and it made me realize that even when you think something is too hard, when you feel too bad, it’s still important to write and to express yourself. I am still really proud of her for that. I think of that speech every time I need to write something personal and difficult.”
Kind of books I like to read now:: “Books that are true and sad, but also have a funny side. My favorite book from the last few years is ‘What is the What’ by David Eggers, a true story about a boy who grew up in the Sudan and who later came to America. The story itself is just amazing and moving, but also, the way the author describes things seems so honest and sometimes lighthearted: he makes his readers understand everything that happens, even though it’s happening so far away, where life is so different from life in America.”
Hardest thing about writing for me: “Everything. Really. Sometimes I wonder why I do it, because it can be so hard to begin to write, and it can be so hard to get through the middle part of writing, and so hard to finish and then even harder to revise and then hardest when someone else doesn’t like what you wrote. It’s a challenge all around for me, but I guess that’s why I love it, too.”
My writing makes me happiest when: “It makes someone else happy. Really. I love hearing from readers who like something I wrote, or from people I write about who like how I describe them. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does, it feels great, like getting an A from my old English teacher.”
Advice on becoming a good writer: “Talk it out. If you’re stuck, if you can figure out how to put your thoughts down, just say aloud what you’re thinking to a friend or family member. That always helps me sort things out in my head. I have no idea why it works, but it does!”
Lauren McCutcheon is the home and design editor at Philadelphia magazine. Previously she was the restaurant and shopping editor at CitySearch and reviewed restaurants for Philadelphia Weekly. Lauren is also the author of “A Virgin’s Guide to Everything” (5 Spot, 2005).
