John Dufresne in Writer's Digest

From John Dufresne's blog:     http://www.johndufresne.com/blog/

No. 16: The Need to Read“Don’t disregard this rule, but don’t let it limit you, either—because it’s not enough to read what you like to write. A writer has to read everything from Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations to the backs of cereal boxes. The writer’s problem, and his opportunity, his obligation, is to know the world. Imaginative writing is a craft that favors the diligent and informed over the inspired and indifferent. You need to know the world, and you also need to develop your craftsmanship. The best teachers of fiction, for example, are the great works of fiction themselves. You may learn more about the structure of a short story by reading Chekhov’s “Heartache” than you could in a semester of Creative Writing 101."
—John Dufresne, “10 Experts Take on the Writer’s Rulebook,” September 2010 (click here to check the rest of the issue out)
http://blog.writersdigest.com/promptly/A+Writer+Has+To+Read+Everything+From+Wittgensteins+Philosophical+Investigations+To+The+Backs+Of+Cereal+Boxes.aspx