Skeletons and Dirty Linen

Whew! 2011 was a very hard grind, and with little reward.  I’ve nearly finished my novel; the one I’ve  been working on for far too long. However  every time  I reach the top of the draft hill I find there’s another peak, followed by another, and another…

Of writers and editors

I’ve been a Steinbeck fan forever and ever, and I recently  came across this wonderful letter to his editor, Pascal Covici, at Viking Press.

 http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/02/book-is-like-man.html

It reminded me I once heard, Dr Who’s David Tennant play a brilliant Lennie Small in the BBC Radio adaptation of Of Mice and Men. I confess to listening to it  at least  three times.  May I suggest you pour yourself a glass of wine, put up your feet  and listen to it right now http://www.kasiminfo.co.uk/DT/2010/Audio/Mice.mp3

I also love Steinbeck’s dedication to his  editor  on the front page of his 1952 novel East of Eden.

‘Dear Pat,
You came upon me carving some kind of little figure out of wood and you said,
“Why don’t you make something for me?”
I asked you what you wanted and you said, “A box.”
“What For?”
“To put things in.”
“What things?”
“Whatever you have.” You said.
Well here’s your box. Nearly everything I have is in it, and it is not full. Pain and excitement are in it, and feeling good or bad and evil thoughts and good thoughts—the pleasure of design and some despair and the indescribable joy of creation.
And on top of these are all the gratitude and love I have for you.
And still the box is not full.
John’