Gay Talese 'Misunderstood the Question' About Women Writers, Not That It Matters Jia Tolentino4/05/16 11:20am858EditInvite manuallyPromoteDismissUndismissHideGo to permalinkLast Saturday, Gay Talese was speaking at a conference at Boston University. When the octogenarian nonfiction legend was asked about women writers who had inspired him, he replied, “I didn’t know any women writers that I loved.”