I just read this article in the NY Times, Concerns Beyond Just Where the Wild Things Are, and it made me happy. Perhaps it made me happy because I chose to see elements of myself in the description. I only wish I could claim to have some of Sendak’s talent and success instead of just his anxiety and insecurity.
Do you think there are certain psychological traits that writers share? (Aside from that we all like words and know how to use them.) Are writers in general a bit crazy or is it just a few us? And, out of curiosity, old men can be very cute and even charming (I think the article says delightful) as curmudgeons… Can women?
I think one of the traits we share is that writing keeps us sane. Another friend of mine claims that if she doesn’t get in enough writing time, she starts to feel mentally ill. I know what she means.
Comment by Marc — September 11, 2008 @ 3:00 am |
To bounce off Marc’s good comment there is a lot of evidence to support the view that Robert Frost literally wrote to keep himself sane. Several members of his family did not write, and suffered terrible mental collapse.
Comment by Trent — September 15, 2008 @ 2:42 am |