SOURCE: Jacobsen, Josephine, and Betty Parry. “Josephine Jacobsen.” Plum Review 9 (May 1995): 59-72.

In the following interview, originally conducted in 1986 and published in Belles Lettres, Parry inquires about Jacobsen's literary influences, beginnings as an author, and methods of writing.

Part 1

[Parry]: You once told a fascinating story about Japanese artists who, after they became famous, changed their names and started fresh. Where is this from?

[Jacobsen]: A book by Matisse called Jazz. He writes that an artist should never be a prisoner of style, of reputation, or of success. He describes Japanese artists who, in an earlier age, had become oppressed by the accumulation of responsibility, the fear of self-repetition, the terrible weight of expectancy. They wanted, like snakes, to shed their skins and start fresh. So they moved to a new identity, stripped of everything except a paintbrush in order to protect their freedom. J'aime ça, because I...