“My problem isn’t writer’s block—it’s writer’s doubt. I sit down but I often doubt that I can finish what’s in front of me. So, I’m not a writer who typically experiences dry spells—a block, for me, is an overwhelming number of pages and little idea which direction to go in. If I feel overwhelmed, I listen to William Basinski’s ‘dlp 1.1’ from The Disintegration Loops, the 2012 reissued box set released by Temporary Residence. Basinski, an avant-garde composer and musician, created a masterpiece when he attempted to digitize old tapes, but instead, disintegrated the very music he was trying to salvage. I find ‘dlp 1.1’ hypnotic and comprised of a quiet clarity; qualities that get me back to work. There is a great range of emotion in this loop of music to tap into and move me to finish what I’ve started.”
—Diana Marie Delgado, author of Tracing the Horse (BOA Editions, 2019)