--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first writer that I think of…" description: "\"The first writer that I think of immediately that I studied with at Michigan is Peter Ho Davies. He was really important to me, tackling that first nov..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/jesmyn-ward-1426_he_the-first-writer-that-i-think-of-immedia_40779.png" --- # The first writer that I think of immediately that I… ![“The first writer that I think of immediately that I studied with at Michigan is Peter Ho Davies. He was really important to me, tackling that first novel. Just writing it.” quote by Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/jesmyn-ward-1426_he_the-first-writer-that-i-think-of-immedia_40779.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/jesmyn-ward-1426_he_the-first-writer-that-i-think-of-immedia_40779.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/917/jesmyn-ward-1426_he_the-first-writer-that-i-think-of-immedia_40779.png) > “The first writer that I think of immediately that I studied with at Michigan is Peter Ho Davies. He was really important to me, tackling that first novel. Just writing it.” [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker credits Peter Ho Davies, a fellow Michigan student, as a pivotal influence during the creation of their debut novel, highlighting his mentorship and impact on their early writing process. **In simple terms:** Mentorship shaped early novel writing. Key Takeaway A mentor can profoundly influence a writer’s first work. Themes Mentorship Creative Process Literary Development Collaboration Influence Mood Reflective Grateful Type Personal Anecdote Literary Reflection When to use this quote - Writing a first novel - Studying literature at university - Seeking guidance from peers - Developing a literary voice Key Concepts Mentor-Student Relationship Writing Craft Early Career Development Practical Applications - Literary workshops - Mentorship programs Questions to Reflect On - How does a mentor’s feedback shape a writer’s style? - What qualities make a mentorship effective? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [My father was a frustrated writer. 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Your”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyung-sook-shin/what-kind-of-writer-are-you-you-can-t-think-of-a-single-sentence-that/) [Kyung-Sook Shin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyung-sook-shin/) > [Well it kind of is project to project because as a writer I think you always write to some degree about things that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-crowe/well-it-kind-of-is-project-to-project-because-as-a-writer-i-think-you/) [Cameron Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-crowe/) > [To an American writer, I should think it must be a flattering distinction to escape the admiration of the newspapers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-trollope/to-an-american-writer-i-should-think-it-must-be-a-flattering/) [Frances Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-trollope/) > [I'd probably play games obsessively if I didn't write, although I admit I don't read novels partly because I don't enjoy it, not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-traviss/i-d-probably-play-games-obsessively-if-i-didn-t-write-although-i/) [Karen Traviss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-traviss/) > [I worked in script development, many years ago, and read a lot of scripts. Between that and the scripts I've read as an actor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mapother/i-worked-in-script-development-many-years-ago-and-read-a-lot-of/) [William Mapother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mapother/) ## More by Jesmyn Ward > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I think that voodoo as a spiritual tradition has been demonized for so long in popular culture. I wanted to write against that and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-think-that-voodoo-as-a-spiritual-tradition-has-been-demonized-for/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [There's so much I love about home, but then there's a lot that I can acknowledge that I dislike about home. 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