Two things, Garrison. First, who says you need be done writing just because you finish your book? Write anyway! (Which I suspect you will do anyway as you have been writing plenty with your columns and now will have time to write whatever comes to mind especially as you strike me as very much a ruminator and you often call yourself one don’t you?) and how is this for a run on sentence oh you who is the master of run on sentences? And second, I would be willing to pay for a subscription to writers almanac and would think many other readers would if that would mean the column would not end before the end of next summer. The writers almanac begins my day and if it doesn’t I may be all out of sorts.
I have seen about a half-dozen of my books in print, all 20-30 years ago. I have not written anything I'd call "consequential" in many years -- not to anyone outside a fairly small circle of family and friends. This does not satisfy a writer, generally; I think most writers long for -- if not fame -- at least a tiny bit of recognition, by name, among people they have never met (and never will meet). The twinkle in the unseen stranger's eye, y'know?
Oh, I have things I've WRITTEN -- left moldering in a drawer, in a storage bin or file cabinet, on disk or in the cloud. Then there are the things not written as such, just threatening written-ness, in the back of my mind. But to the extent you are right, Mr. Keillor, perhaps someday I will have postponed further publication enough, y'know? -- enough to just throw in the towel and face the panic again. I'm retired and in my 70s. I'd better get a move on. May I live so long, eh?
When I lived in Ireland, I learned this expression: "He who made time made plenty of it." As an adjunct to this, I learned that among some Irish, it was considered poor form to be too eager to finish up on a job because where are you then? Out of work! So take you time.
They say that a major theme of Hemingway's works is the subject of death. About how the world breaks everyone and those who will not break, it kills. How it kills the good and the brave and the gentle impartially. But I have wondered why Hemingway wrestled with the topic of death so much. To me it is just part of nature. Every living thing will die. (I know that someone will say that some single cell creatures that divide don't die, they just keep dividing.)
Each living thing regardless of how brave, heroic, smart, pretty, rich, etc. will grow old and die. The only way to avoid getting old is to die young. I know I am stating the obvious.
I know people are probably tired of hearing it, but the only way to deal with this situation is to make the most of the life that we have. Growing old and dying is just a reality. Do what Epicurus recommended. Do the things that give joy and satisfaction to your life. If these things are of benefit or use to others then that is all the better.
So Garrison, if writing gives you joy or satisfaction go for it. When you are past 70, if you can't do what you want to do, when can you?
I like writing but I don't want to try to write anything longer than this comments post because there have been so many great books written already. Anything that I could say has already been said by someone who said it better than I could. Like when I think about composing some music. Instead of trying that, I just go listen to some Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc.
Dear Mr. Keillor, Oh, how I have loved The Writer's Almanac all these years and missed it so when it was gone for those few years. I read with dread your comment about "it may be gone by the end of summer." Is there anything we can do to help? I would gladly pay a monthly subscription to keep it coming into my inbox every morning. Very sincerely yours, Joy
I can understand your posing those who "majored in women's studies" against "old white reactionaries." It seems very timely, of course, what with #MeToo and the former hair job in the White House and all. In a few years, I would hope, we're all going to come to our senses and realize that we need each other, males and females alike. Some time in the future, we'll realize that we don't have to "Put XYZ in their place," with respect to their social, or occupational, or even generational situation because of their biological gender.
When I was a student at UCLA, the office staff in our "school" included five women and one man. I wondered a bit about that lone man, until I understood that he was the only brother among six sisters. There was nothing "unmasculine" about him. However, he was used to being among a bevvy of females. It felt comfortable to him.
When I was growing up in the 1950's, my brother would play with the three Bennett brothers. They'd say "Girls? YUCK!" He was "socialized" to that sort of behavior. And yet, he was the one who wanted to "Play house" with the plastic figures, in the doll house that Dad had built for me.
I think, with the current emphasis on gender equality, that our younger generations will most likely consign our sexist tropes to the "antiquated beliefs" bin. And, we need to note, too, that "Old White Reactionaries" can certainly include elderly white women who see genders in a strictly polar dichotomy. This new generation of young people can read about Maddy Freking, the powerful, strike-throwing girl who gave batters fits in the 2019 Little League World Series, [https://www.mlb.com/cut4/maddy-freking-took-the-little-league-world-series-by-storm] or look up to Kamala Harris and the more than two dozen governors of states in our union who have successfully fulfilled important executive positions in our union to know that ability doesn't depend on gender. And yet, even among the over sixty-five group. there are many folks who don't see gender as a limiting factor, for themselves, or others, either. It will be nice when we don't think "Be nice to that old geezer - folks like that just don't know any better." It's a sort of prejudice in itself, isn't it?
One should always beware ticking off an author, lest they face imaginary death in an imaginary good gas explosion.
Two things, Garrison. First, who says you need be done writing just because you finish your book? Write anyway! (Which I suspect you will do anyway as you have been writing plenty with your columns and now will have time to write whatever comes to mind especially as you strike me as very much a ruminator and you often call yourself one don’t you?) and how is this for a run on sentence oh you who is the master of run on sentences? And second, I would be willing to pay for a subscription to writers almanac and would think many other readers would if that would mean the column would not end before the end of next summer. The writers almanac begins my day and if it doesn’t I may be all out of sorts.
I have seen about a half-dozen of my books in print, all 20-30 years ago. I have not written anything I'd call "consequential" in many years -- not to anyone outside a fairly small circle of family and friends. This does not satisfy a writer, generally; I think most writers long for -- if not fame -- at least a tiny bit of recognition, by name, among people they have never met (and never will meet). The twinkle in the unseen stranger's eye, y'know?
Oh, I have things I've WRITTEN -- left moldering in a drawer, in a storage bin or file cabinet, on disk or in the cloud. Then there are the things not written as such, just threatening written-ness, in the back of my mind. But to the extent you are right, Mr. Keillor, perhaps someday I will have postponed further publication enough, y'know? -- enough to just throw in the towel and face the panic again. I'm retired and in my 70s. I'd better get a move on. May I live so long, eh?
When I lived in Ireland, I learned this expression: "He who made time made plenty of it." As an adjunct to this, I learned that among some Irish, it was considered poor form to be too eager to finish up on a job because where are you then? Out of work! So take you time.
They say that a major theme of Hemingway's works is the subject of death. About how the world breaks everyone and those who will not break, it kills. How it kills the good and the brave and the gentle impartially. But I have wondered why Hemingway wrestled with the topic of death so much. To me it is just part of nature. Every living thing will die. (I know that someone will say that some single cell creatures that divide don't die, they just keep dividing.)
Each living thing regardless of how brave, heroic, smart, pretty, rich, etc. will grow old and die. The only way to avoid getting old is to die young. I know I am stating the obvious.
I know people are probably tired of hearing it, but the only way to deal with this situation is to make the most of the life that we have. Growing old and dying is just a reality. Do what Epicurus recommended. Do the things that give joy and satisfaction to your life. If these things are of benefit or use to others then that is all the better.
So Garrison, if writing gives you joy or satisfaction go for it. When you are past 70, if you can't do what you want to do, when can you?
I like writing but I don't want to try to write anything longer than this comments post because there have been so many great books written already. Anything that I could say has already been said by someone who said it better than I could. Like when I think about composing some music. Instead of trying that, I just go listen to some Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc.
As an aside, I also enjoy Writer's Almanac.
Best wishes to one and all and have a nice life.
Dear Mr. Keillor, Oh, how I have loved The Writer's Almanac all these years and missed it so when it was gone for those few years. I read with dread your comment about "it may be gone by the end of summer." Is there anything we can do to help? I would gladly pay a monthly subscription to keep it coming into my inbox every morning. Very sincerely yours, Joy
That long first paragraph of yours made me tired just thinking about your writing life. You made me happy that I'm just a happy reader!
I can understand your posing those who "majored in women's studies" against "old white reactionaries." It seems very timely, of course, what with #MeToo and the former hair job in the White House and all. In a few years, I would hope, we're all going to come to our senses and realize that we need each other, males and females alike. Some time in the future, we'll realize that we don't have to "Put XYZ in their place," with respect to their social, or occupational, or even generational situation because of their biological gender.
When I was a student at UCLA, the office staff in our "school" included five women and one man. I wondered a bit about that lone man, until I understood that he was the only brother among six sisters. There was nothing "unmasculine" about him. However, he was used to being among a bevvy of females. It felt comfortable to him.
When I was growing up in the 1950's, my brother would play with the three Bennett brothers. They'd say "Girls? YUCK!" He was "socialized" to that sort of behavior. And yet, he was the one who wanted to "Play house" with the plastic figures, in the doll house that Dad had built for me.
I think, with the current emphasis on gender equality, that our younger generations will most likely consign our sexist tropes to the "antiquated beliefs" bin. And, we need to note, too, that "Old White Reactionaries" can certainly include elderly white women who see genders in a strictly polar dichotomy. This new generation of young people can read about Maddy Freking, the powerful, strike-throwing girl who gave batters fits in the 2019 Little League World Series, [https://www.mlb.com/cut4/maddy-freking-took-the-little-league-world-series-by-storm] or look up to Kamala Harris and the more than two dozen governors of states in our union who have successfully fulfilled important executive positions in our union to know that ability doesn't depend on gender. And yet, even among the over sixty-five group. there are many folks who don't see gender as a limiting factor, for themselves, or others, either. It will be nice when we don't think "Be nice to that old geezer - folks like that just don't know any better." It's a sort of prejudice in itself, isn't it?