Unfinished Manifesto

Creative writing is an art.

Being an artist is a way of life, not a job.

Do not write to make a living; write to make a living worthwhile.

Write to make sense of my life and then pass that long.

Write from having lived as wide, as deep, and as varied a life as possible.

Specialization is for insects.

Use both solitude and company. And remember that it is just as easy to fail at solitude as it is to fail at being a companion.

Creative writing is a moral, social act. Don’t lose sight of that.

Justice, mercy, love, and freedom are not the work of the gods or politicians, but the work of those who willingly risk seeing the world with open eyes —- who do not turn away, but address what they see.

from the book “What on earth have I done?”