Pat Conroy, 'My Exaggerated Life.' As Told to Katherine Clark (2018)

Pat Conroy, My Exaggerated Life. As Told to Katherine Clark. Columbia: The University of South Carolina Press, 2018.

I found this highly valuable for its insight into the writer's craft as well as highly entertaining for its sheer cattiness. 

Conroy (1945-2016) wasn't one to sugarcoat what he thought about other people or various things. He holds a good Irish grudge for all time, maybe even beyond death, although in the end, all good Catholics go home to rest, I suppose.  

Most importantly of all, Conroy is adamant in his advocacy for unfettered writing: ". . . I don't like readers who point and say you cannot go there; you are not allowed to go there; you're not free to go there; that is off limits. . . . Your service is to your art, and nothing else makes any difference in the world, not your love of your mother, not your love of your children. It simply doesn't. . . . you are at service to art. And if you're not, do something else . . . There is no room for timid souls on our high dive. My writing life would be worthless if I did not write about the things I wasn't supposed to." (Page 161).

Amen to that.

Today's Rune: The Mystery Rune.