Here's my theory on English and American writers: The former are laconic, the latter prolix. Or, in simpler terms, the English are neat and the Americans are messy. There are exceptions, of course, but generally Americans put it all out there, composing long, capacious sentences and producing big, complex books. The British, by contast, write slim, elegant, circumspect works. Which is why I've always been drawn to them.
The young freelancer told me that her father was a college English professor. I asked if he wrote too. She said he used to, but doesn't anymore. "I buy him notebooks for his birthday," she said, "in hopes of encouraging him. And he says, 'Thanks. I'll use it for my to-do lists.'"
It made me wonder if daily contact with the greats makes it difficult to practice their profession. Most writers read the classics in school and then move on, dipping into them from time to time but not living with them day after day. We are not constantly reminded of the enormous gap between our meager efforts and works of true genius, and that forgetfulness makes it possible for us to continue.
One of the joys of going from journalist to author is that you also move from interviewer to interviewee. http://wlrn.org/post/exploring-joys-travel-thomas-swick
I'm heading off today on a little Florida book tour, starting with the WLRN studios in Miami, then driving over to the west coast for readings in Sarasota and Tampa. I'll be back here on Monday.
The beauty of book reviewing is that, after lunch, you don't have to head back into the office and sit at the computer. You can, at least for the first day or two, just stay out on the balcony and read.
Yesterday evening I opened the front door and found a padded envelope from my publisher. After tearing it open, I pulled out a hardcover copy of The Joys of Travel, along with a touching letter from my editor.
Holding your new book in your hands is one of the greatest moments in a writer's life. It makes all the work worthwhile and all the rejection insignificant. It never grows old (at least not when you publish a book every 12 years). May this one find many readers.