Some students have accused him of being mean. I don't see myself as gruff. I see myself as an honest teacher. I never say, 'Hey, don't give up your day job,' but I won't encourage someone who doesn't have what it takes. My job is not to tickle them under the wings.
Writing is as much an act of criticism as it is of writing.
Students in his workshops have been known to tremble in the wake of his comments. He is a master of metaphor, a meticulous editor. He was a very good teacher for me. That same year Elkin was elected a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters.