Up@dawn 2.0

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Real happiness

In 1999 Shelby Foote responded to an interviewer's question about where he found the inspiration and motivation to write his compendious multi-volume Civil War history, on top of five novels (and a teahouse).
"People say, My God, I can’t believe that you really worked that hard for twenty years. How in God’s name did you do it? Well, obviously I did it because I enjoyed it. I don’t deserve any credit for working hard. I was doing what I wanted to do. Shakespeare said it best: “The labor we delight in physics pain.” There’s no better feeling in the world than to lay your head on the pillow at night looking forward to getting up in the morning and returning to that desk. That’s real happiness."
Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 158, Shelby Foote

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