Over dinner the other night Hania observed that the holidays are a time of clichés. It was something I was very happy to hear. My life is an ongoing, to quote Martin Amis, war against cliché, which means that writing Christmas cards is a tremendous struggle. (“A writer,” Thomas Mann said, “is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”) You can tweak the seasonal sayings, but how can you improve on “Joy to the world” or “Peace on earth.” There is nothing wrong, except gender-wise, with “goodwill toward men.” So, just as other people suspend their diets during the holidays, I’m lifting, for the next few weeks, my ban on bromides.
