John Updike

was rejected, twice, from Harvard's most prestigious creative writing class.

And other matters.

(Un)Intentional symbolism

Answers to some light anecdotal research, undertaken by 16-year-old Bruce McAllister.*

Featuring - surprise, surprise - some pretty good examples of bad writing along with the sort of I'm-much-too-busy-for-this dickishness you get more often than you ought from big literary figures.

There are, of course,** one or two good remarks about symbolism.

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* Fuller answers (along with interesting typed originals) available from the Paris Review Daily blog section.
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