This dissertation acts as a compendium and an analysis of DeLillo's writerly counsel, with an eye to how this advice might promise fresh ways to consider and analyze his fictions. Chapter one focuses on DeLillo's statements to the larger writing world - advice found in interviews and published essays. While he has never outlined a formal gradus for prose writers, a careful reading of these texts finds DeLillo returning again and again to what the writer should take pains with - or avoid, ignore, or eschew. But DeLillo has also given advice more directly. Chapter two focuses on writing advice in correspondence between DeLillo and David Foster Wallace. Chapter three is devoted to the epistolary relationship between DeLillo and Jonathan Franzen. In Chapter four I compare DeLillo's advice with that of a selection of his contemporaries: William Gass, William Gaddis, Robert Coover, Donald Barthelme, and Thomas Pynchon.
","abstract_html":"<p>This dissertation acts as a compendium and an analysis of DeLillo's writerly counsel, with an eye to how this advice might promise fresh ways to consider and analyze his fictions. Chapter one focuses on DeLillo's statements to the larger writing world - advice found in interviews and published essays. While he has never outlined a formal gradus for prose writers, a careful reading of these texts finds DeLillo returning again and again to what the writer should take pains with - or avoid, ignore, or eschew. But DeLillo has also given advice more directly. Chapter two focuses on writing advice in correspondence between DeLillo and David Foster Wallace. Chapter three is devoted to the epistolary relationship between DeLillo and Jonathan Franzen. In Chapter four I compare DeLillo's advice with that of a selection of his contemporaries: William Gass, William Gaddis, Robert Coover, Donald Barthelme, and Thomas Pynchon.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Jones, Raphael"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Campus Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"English Language and Literatures","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["David Cowart"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2012-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:23Z","subjects":["Arts and Humanities","English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2012, Raphael Jones"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1077","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["David Cowart"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Jones, Raphael"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English Language and Literatures"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Arts and Humanities","English Language and Literature"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2012, Raphael Jones"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1077"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This dissertation acts as a compendium and an analysis of DeLillo's writerly counsel, with an eye to how this advice might promise fresh ways to consider and analyze his fictions. Chapter one focuses on DeLillo's statements to the larger writing world - advice found in interviews and published essays. While he has never outlined a formal gradus for prose writers, a careful reading of these texts finds DeLillo returning again and again to what the writer should take pains with - or avoid, ignore, or eschew. But DeLillo has also given advice more directly. Chapter two focuses on writing advice in correspondence between DeLillo and David Foster Wallace. Chapter three is devoted to the epistolary relationship between DeLillo and Jonathan Franzen. In Chapter four I compare DeLillo's advice with that of a selection of his contemporaries: William Gass, William Gaddis, Robert Coover, Donald Barthelme, and Thomas Pynchon.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["\"Like a Donut Maker, Only Slower\": Don Delillo's Advice to Writers"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["David Cowart"],"dc:creator":["Jones, Raphael"],"dc:description.abstract":["This dissertation acts as a compendium and an analysis of DeLillo's writerly counsel, with an eye to how this advice might promise fresh ways to consider and analyze his fictions. Chapter one focuses on DeLillo's statements to the larger writing world - advice found in interviews and published essays. While he has never outlined a formal gradus for prose writers, a careful reading of these texts finds DeLillo returning again and again to what the writer should take pains with - or avoid, ignore, or eschew. But DeLillo has also given advice more directly. Chapter two focuses on writing advice in correspondence between DeLillo and David Foster Wallace. Chapter three is devoted to the epistolary relationship between DeLillo and Jonathan Franzen. In Chapter four I compare DeLillo's advice with that of a selection of his contemporaries: William Gass, William Gaddis, Robert Coover, Donald Barthelme, and Thomas Pynchon.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1077"],"dc:rights":["© 2012, Raphael Jones"],"dc:subject":["Arts and Humanities","English Language and Literature"],"dc:title":["\"Like a Donut Maker, Only Slower\": Don Delillo's Advice to Writers"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English Language and Literatures"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:38:23Z"}