Wow!

I like this author! Her prose is honest, assertive, and relaxing. It's nice to read someone who isn't afraid to put their opinions out there in crystal clear terms, opposed to hiding behind other's words and opaque language.

There were a couple parts in the reading that really jumped out at me. The first part was when she said, and I paraphrase, that most writers should be able to endure poverty, loneliness, and anguish. It's something we hear all the time, that the life of a writer is a horrible, lonely experience that often times goes without any recognition. But the way she said it, so bluntly and direct, really made me believe her words. She voice comes off as nothing but honest. Now admittedly that's a blanket statement as there is quite a wide range on kinds of writing and the experiences those writers have, but nonetheless she grabbed hold of me with that.

The other thing was when she talked about being steadfast, thick-skinned, and persevering. It's so true! Being only a fledgling writer (she urges us to refer to ourselves as writers, which is something I usually avoid), I can already recognize that this is not the kind of thing one can learn overnight. There is a certain innate talent that some are born with, but good writers are slowly hammered and tempered over many, many years and thousands of hours of writing. It's kind of comforting to realize we don't need to get there right away.

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