Why I Write

Primarily, I'd say that I write because I enjoy it. The sheer act of writing is a source of great pleasure for me. In the process of writing poetry or fiction I begin to discover what my deepest concerns and desires are, and I have found to my delight (like a secret gift built into the medium I use) that I have the technical ability to explore them. This is not to say that I write in order to 'express myself' because, frankly, my way of life gives me plenty of opportunity to do that. When I come across 'self-expression' in a book or an article- it's easy to recognize, it's the literary equivalent of posturing before a mirror - it's an instant tum-off as far as I am concerned. l become extremely suspicious of the author's pretensions and motives. The book becomes boring. I abandon it.