Exploring Creativity with Ursula K. Le Guin

An interview with Ursula K. Le Guin by TVAP (The Video Access Project) / The Creative Outlet, Inc.

[@squamish4244]

I wrote to her in 2016, telling her how much I loved the Earthsea Cycle. I wasn't expecting her to reply at age 86, and as such a well-known author, but she was kind enough to do so. She passed away two years later. I'll keep that letter forever!

[@fullmetal-animator]

You can tell that as enthusiastic as she is for her writing, there is a healthy dose of cynicism behind it all that keeps it in check and she definitely has the intelligence to back it up. This is a fine balance that I seldom see in many other writers these days. I only wish I still had a chance to tell her this someday.

[@chickenspy1854]

To me, that cynicism always charmed me in her writing. Those small moments when characters question the sound logic of their companions with their own more widely accepted logic, and their eyes are opened by a new perspective. Questioning the logic of what is accepted in society, even among those you consider friends allows us to see when something's wrong. I feel like this is especially true right now (June 2020), where much of what Le Guin wrote about and criticized is coming to light once again in the States.

[@europa_bambaataa]

I get the same impression from the introduction to Left Hand Of Darkness. She's kind of snarky, but pretty cultured

[@Minny_of_Earthsea]

As a mother who always wanted to write, this is perfect to hear. What a beautiful talented woman.

[@stephanierodriguez3160]

2 people can do 3 jobs but a single person can't do 2

[@danielledibenedetto4905]

Elder Le Guin's embodiment--and my god, the way she communicates to the interviewer with silence and her eyes--is soothing to my bones. To let it go down and transform and come back up.

[@ryneallen5163]

It was fucking lovely I had a cup of coffee and watched this and I felt like I was just in the room. I could almost smell the interviewers perm. ❤

[@carolynclitheroe3588]

Mushroom coffee?

[@nishanthpeters1395]

She seems like a lovely woman and someone that i could talk to forever in a warm and lively way for hours.

[@davistalhone9482]

I'm watching all her interviews in reverse order for some reason. It's like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

[@Danlovar]

Your next step will be to read a novel from the last page to the first.

[@alexandernagel8205]

Davis Talhone I’ve been doing the same thing with Susan Sontag

[@user-ni3or4hw8q]

I love her way of speaking. she seems to have no mask

[@gastonrijo9391]

No COVID yet

[@generalironbeak1200]

Just like how she writes imo :)

[@user-ni3or4hw8q]

@@gastonrijo9391 lol

[@mischiefner]

I came here after reading The Left Hand of Darkness, one of the best fiction books I've read in my life so far. I love her writing, and I love this interview. She left an amazing legacy in this world.

[@NathanTRousseau]

I so wishI had the chance to meet her in life, but I feel as if I have, through all her writing. It's so good to see interviews like this. She really inspired me so much in my life, not only in writing, but in my understanding of life. I will never have an experience of life on earth that was not touched by this woman.

[@thelostcosmonaut5555]

She’s so confident. I can’t wait to start on The Left Hand Of Darkness and then move onto the Earthsea series!

[@basbrain]

Weird coincidence to see this comment only 6 hours after it was posted, but I wanna tell you that you're going to have a great time with the left hand of Darkness. It's such a good read

[@robkirchhof133]

She translated the Book of Tao. She's made me scream 'what the fuck!' while reading a book more than anyone else i've ever read. Fuck i love this woman. What a genius...

[@NoName-qr5jg]

I agree, sir

[@itstoogooditswaytoogood3211]

this is great. the interviewer makes this unique not only in her homely personality but she comes across as good faith, as a sort of genuine fan and layman with her own ideas, but still aware she's a layman. "and people who are watching can see that a creative personality is kind of fun to be, i think you might say that?" is such a cute and authentic way to end the interview.

[@SourovKabirII]

true. love your articulation.

[@MrSwinefuzz]

I've never read her. I don't read fantasy hardly ever and I don't know why I watched this video TBH. But I really liked her and now I feel I need to give her a try.

[@nelhed3587]

Did you end up reading her? She's so good but also what a pleasant personality

[@GH05TM0V3R]

she is up there with clarke heinlien aasimov and dick. the lathe of heaven, the left hand of darkness, the beginning place, always coming home and very far away from everything else are timeless classics!

[@juliettebouchery3550]

Oh wonderful Ursula. So grateful for what you wrote and what you were.

[@unstopitable]

What a beautiful human being and writer.

[@NoName-qr5jg]

A such beautiful woman and person alike ! I'll remain dispossessed forever.

[@clarityphillips2147]

always coming home is one of the most beautiful and heart-moving books i've ever read. i know people find it hard to get into, as i did too, because it's unlike anything else. but i promise it's very worth it to get to the end. there's a sense of coming full circle, as is natural to the theme and form of the book. i would add to le guin's explanation of the title that, for me, it depicts humans coming home to the essence of humanity, and that is the dancing of groupness and individuality in flow with nature, time, stories, work, conflict, peace. it is a place where humans have lived before and humans will live there again.

[@iolairmuinnmalachybromham3103]

Oh my God that book is so special!! I think once you read it some part of you stays with it forever

[@robkirchhof133]

I've enjoyed, and learned, more from Le Guin than any other author I can think of. I can't wait for the right people to make her stuff into film.

[@Inquisitrr]

Finished Left Hand of Darkness today. Can't wait to read what else she has to offer.

[@NoName-qr5jg]

Please run into "The dispossessed" : it is fabulous !

[@rp627]

lmao, "the story is the message, you can't just extract fortune cookie things out of them" :p

[@NoName-qr5jg]

Yes, excellent ! 😄

[@mjz9022]

This is an absolutely wonderful interview.

[@squamish4244]

Huh. She didn't write her classic series of books, The Left Hand of Darkness, the first Earthsea trilogy, the Lathe of Heaven, The Word for World is Forest and The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas until she was in her late 30s-mid 40s. That's encouraging :)

[@capucnechaussonpassion14]

This is a distinctly good interview

[@lindsayrojas8964]

I loveeeeee that they included audio of music from the world of Always Coming Home. I’m reading Left Hand of Darkness right now (about halfway through) and have already decided I’m going to take on that book next 🥰

[@barrygoldwater9450]

Children are human beings!

[@kanewanharris2424]

I bought Always Coming Home twenty years ago for the cover! I was frustrated by the content...thought it was like a manual. Years later I decided I had to read more of her stuff after seeing these interviews; I'm so glad I did.

[@SourovKabirII]

i am also considering reading it. recently i found the book is very critically acclaimed.

[@maheshwaranp3946]

This is crazy. I haven't read a single book of hers. I just read a quote of her and used it in my shortfilm. I then googled her and wanted to know about her. For some reason I saw this whole interview. It is really great. I'm gonna check out her books.

[@imaginationexpansion5818]

GREAT MINDS ALWAYS SHARE THE GREATNESS

[@deskryptic]

What a gangster! Love her.

[@MrSwinefuzz]

perfect description. I agree.

[@juhanleemet]

good observation: 2 people CAN do 3 full time jobs, but one person cannot do 2 full time jobs! my experience agrees

[@h0ll0wm9n]

Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, features portions of a full length interview with Ursula K. Le Guin produced by TVAP (The Video Access Project) in 1985.

[@goeblaubagan8407]

Good interview. Public schools. Jails for children. So sad that school is engineered to crush out the creative spark in children. I had a kindergarten teacher who admitted to never having read a book in her life.

[@MrSwinefuzz]

Are you serious about that teacher? How did she get the job?

[@spacegerrit9499]

I always fed my class freedom, not sure where this; school kills creativity nonsense comes from. We're no longer in a schoolsystem where the nuns slap you with a ruler. Its pretty overwhelmi g how much freedom children, almost too much sometimes.

[@freethinker79]

Yup. That's the Outcome Based Prussian Indoctrination System; institutionalized menticide.

[@NoName-qr5jg]

@@MrSwinefuzz Readinfg a book is not knowledge. Some very clever, wise and resourceful people can not even read.

[@lynnlytton8244]

@@NoName-qr5jg Nothing wrong with that, as long as you're not supposed to be helping people learn to read, or to enjoy learning. The teacher being discussed did have that kind of job. Sounds like the wrong job for her. I'd much rather listen to an old illiterate artisan who loves their work.

[@DobroMentor]

Yes, thank you! She is so different here and so the same as in her late years. Beautiful and brilliant!

[@rp627]

whoa, this is gold. thanks for uploading!

[@k3lash174]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@Jippa_33]

That was really great. Thank you for sharing this video

[@mitchpeterson2953]

Thanks for posting this video!

[@Pilum1000]

the great writer...

[@corrupt3835]

AMAZING LADY

[@Billi_crow]

thank u for the upload

[@yagurla]

omg this is so good

[@MagikBud]

great talk

[@graydonsmith5722]

Truly one of the greats, she was taken too soon

[@JerHilDay]

well I've probably read 10,000 books in my life so far, and although I am sort of beyond the notion of having favorites, still I would say she is probably my favorite author, or certainly one of the top 2 or 3.

[@Frisbieinstein]

That's a book a day for thirty years.

[@willrichardson519]

At 13 minutes; on men being more carelessly autobiographical than women...would make an interesting study...

[@alexandernagel8205]

Will Richardson or a great story!

[@reliableandrew]

Wondering why you included the word 'carelessly' in your characterisation of men's writing.

[@willrichardson519]

@@reliableandrew Ursula theorised that women are more careful so men wouldn't be careful, that is, they may be careless.

[@reliableandrew]

@@willrichardson519 Uh-huh. I heard what Ursula theorised...and therefore her implicit assumption that men were...otherwise. Just thought you might've had something extra to add, no matter though.

[@denmorgan259]

С благоговением смотрю

[@RamonInNZ]

A very early interview re-released in 2018 for KZbin - wonder when this was actually done?

[@krispeysen54]

Yes I agree, this is important information to have. It looks like the 70s.

[@vinaskth]

💗💗💗

[@claireaurore9970]

When was this recorded? This is amazing

[@claireaurore9970]

@Cheyna Partridge Thank you!

[@DorothyPotterSnyder]

Her face tells me that high school was hard for Ursula.

[@DanielLopez-zt4ig]

Still searching for THE book which will change my life.

[@apenneukende]

Each on you read did

[@oen2446]

Flowers for algernon!

[@lukecarroll4052]

The dispossessed

[@c.rutherford]

Tombs of Atuan definitely did for me. Its just a masterpiece imo. Though I don't want to ruin it for you by having you go in expecting that. I read Flowers for Algernon as a kid and god I hated it lol

[@NoName-qr5jg]

May be no one. But The Dispossessed could do the job.

[@lorenzoc.b.9809]

16:08 a good Tolkien follower

[@kevgh3869]

Anyone know what year this is?

[@europa_bambaataa]

When is this from?

[@jonathanharvey1451]

What year was this filmed?

[@tsundoku5733]

When was this recorded?

[@lucashoops4601]

1985, IT SAYS IN THE CREDITS

[@NoName-qr5jg]

@@lucashoops4601 Thanks !

[@otheusrex2190]

what year was this interview from?

[@jonathanmitchell8698]

1985. It's in the credits at the end.

[@gatoravguld7351]

Who is the English author (Margaret?) that she mentions?

[@TheHAM1980]

Atwood.... Margaret Atwood

[@scroogemcduckrich9705]

18:48

[@ricardoreis8096]

14:39 Left habd of darkness

[@igormendonca4026]

ENTJ with developed Ni and Fi

[@jerraldwest8531]

(interviewer) "What can I do to help a child realize it's ability?" (Le Guin musing to herself) "Well, not referring to them as "It" might be a good place to start."

[@delmanpronto9374]

man, women had so much class back then. please God, please bring these times back.

[@contrarian9999]

You just know the wrong women.

[@delmanpronto9374]

@@contrarian9999 you need to live longer.

[@contrarian9999]

@@delmanpronto9374 Don't have to to know there is huge diversity among women of character.

[@delmanpronto9374]

@@contrarian9999 if and when you live a little longer, it will become apparent that women across the board have become rude, aggressive and obscene. there's barely any grace or elegance in the way they conduct themselves. there's a war against femininity, and the its effects are quite palpable. to not be aware of this is to be quite ignorant of the situation at this time.

[@contrarian9999]

@@delmanpronto9374Or maybe that is a very American problem. And unfortunately most of the world tries to emulate America. I am proud of my femininity. As are most of the women in my life. Most times we've been shamed for femininity has been from men. Femininity has always been associated with weakness and inferiority which is why the reactivity swings so hard in the opposite direction nowadays.

[@milansikidjo]

She seems short tempered

[@rullmourn1142]

Is she wearing a wig?

[@Belrondis]

She's far left.

[@georgetempest9627]

The earth sea quartet is pure fantasy, NOT scifi... I find her very difficult to read, so are some other female authors. I am not a sexist and I adore everything by Ann Mc Caffrey! Ursula tries to hard to sound Shakespearian., it doesn't work love!

[@jm6406]

daft

[@octavia458]

I disagree that it doesn't work, but I also have trouble with her writing. It can be as fancy as she wants, but it's not very personal.

[@murdockfiles9406]

What are you talking about. You must have a difficult time reading because Le Guin writes in a way that's simplistic, yet always exquisite. Her works are even a little difficult to read. If you want a difficult fantasy novel, read Mervyn Peake

[@ttrenchmiranda]

@John Lamee Just finished the Dispossessed and loved it!

[@oldtygerthatsleeps]

I think Lewis' Law applies here...

[@psyclotronxx3083]

I loved her writing