Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Those who write because they MUST
In the collected correspondence of poet Wallace Stevens there is a letter where Stevens is asked "What do you think of the work of poet X (name withheld because the poet was living at the time of publication) ?" Stevens answered "He does not write AS THOUGH HE MUST (i.e. from compulsion, necessity, urgency." I have blogged every day since 1998 because it is an essential part of my life, a creative act whereby I focus and explore my thoughts. Blogging is also a way for me to give to others what I have experienced in life. If we write not because we feel compelled but simply to gain popularity or readership then we run the risk of being superficial or artificial. Sometimes people around the world write me with questions that trouble them and I reply as a generalized essay addressed to the world. Other times I have discussions and I blog those in the spirit of Plato's dialogues since there are ideas which come alive only in the context of discourse.
