Matthew R. Powell on His Favorite Authors

hmmm lemme see... i dont think i can write this whole thing about non-fiction due to the simple fact that i DONT READ IT (notwithstanding certain summer assignments and i suppose magazine and newspaper articles if u want to get technical). but since you {that being Mr. Logsdon} talked about Stephen King(an author of MOSTLY fiction, as u surely know) in your post, I hope that you won't b tooo offended when i circumvent a particular section of your question pertaining to the whole "non-fiction" thing. but fiction i cAn talk aboUt. i love Stephen King (although i do not think i reach the same echelon of fanhood on which you reside). i love his characters, many many story lines, and the way that he builds suspense and can terrify his readers. another name that pops readily(Stephen would hate that) into mind is J.K. Rowling, but that almost seems too easy. OF COURSE i love her- she wrote harry potter; she created characters who were so endearing that when one of them was knocked off by a killing curse, thousands of preadolescent readers would be sobbing for hours, and even the most coldhearted reader would find that he had a lump in his throat and might even have to wipe his eyes as nonchalantly as possible. another writer that comes to mind is the late Chilean Roberto Bolano (with a little squiggle above the n- pronounced Bolanyo). his writing is organic, unconventional. he oscillates between humor and complete darkness. do his works really have plots? kinda. his stories move towards- what? nobody really knows. they have open endings, meaning open to interpretation. it would b a stretch to say that there are climaxes. ur initial reaction as the last words on the page float by is: is that it? did i miss something? that sucked! but then u sit for a miNUte in silence and contemplAte what u Just read and u think: you know what, that was pretty deep; that book was alright after all; in fact it was good, not just good though, you know, it was like really good, it was great, this book is a MASTERPIECE! and SO on and SO forth. its hard to explain unless you've read it yourself. am i making sense here?