Titled The American Novel , it featured Joseph Heller, Joyce Carol Oates, Jamaica Kincaid and more literary luminaries. In the 1930's, while escaping Vermont or New Hampshire's long winters, he wrote here, too. That doesn't surprise me. The island looks amazingly like New England in some areas, because of an abundance of wood frame architecture, with gingerbread trim, white picket fences and widow's walks. But, too, the island abounds with good places to write.
Inspiration hangs in the air.
A walk almost anywhere on this flat island often gets me in the mood to write. A guesthouse porch with comfortable chairs and a lap cat keeps me content and working with only a pen and paper for hours. The street roosters, the wild parrots, the homeless cats and the tree skinks all add dimension, color and mystery to my work. The ghosts of Key West's historic writers prowl the streets and are joined by many living notables. Among the famous who live here at least part time are Alison Lurie, Joy Williams, Richard Wilbur, and Annie Dillard.