among other things, I am starting to work to build a piggery that will be the delight of all pig-men in the United States. It will be large and efficient and cheap in relation to the size of it.
(letter to George Brett, 21 September 1914, in Hendricks and Shepard 1965: 429)
Just a reminder that even one of the greatest novelists of American literature was more than just an author; he was a farmer and an adventurer as well. After seeing London's piggery and his farm--which is spectacular--I wish I had such a good reason to ask a publisher for an advance! But since I don't, I'm reminded that our daily lives and day jobs give us the life experiences we need to write rich and real literature. So here's my writer's New Year resolution: embrace life and sow it into the stories I lay down!
3 comments:
That's awesome. I think I, too, will ask an editor some day for a piggery advance.
For the editor, it was an advance well spent. What a beautiful piggery! Shoot, if I was a pig and had to live there... well, I'd be a very happy pig.
What a wonderful observation that our "day" jobs are what give us the experience and insight to create our stories.
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