Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking. It is easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit to forgive them for having witnessed your own. We want the facts to fit the preconceptions. When they don't, it is easier to ignore the facts than to change the preconceptions. |