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Meg Waite Clayton

Author of the international bestsellers The Postmistress of Paris, The Last Train to London, and 6 other novels

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February 18, 2012 By Meg Waite Clayton

Literary Envy

It’s the dirty little secret none of us likes to admit to, but I’d venture to guess most of us in the deepest recesses of our ambitious little hearts will have experienced literary envy at some point. There is a very nice piece by Maura Kelly in the current issue of Poets & Writers titled “Writer Envy,” which quotes Mark Doty’s solution (which I turn to myself, after of course indulging in the petty little thoughts I will admit to in general but not in detail):

The remedy for artistic bitterness is immersion in the present, in the joyful, continuing struggle of making something. You keep the challenges new, you solve the problems a new way, you do what you don’t know how to do yet, and you’ll stay awake in your spirit, and it won’t matter quite as much what anyone thinks.

Stay awake in your spirit. I love that.
If you have a favorite quote on literary envy, an anecdote, or a favorite remedy, do share it in the comments!
I couldn’t find the whole piece on line to link to, but the magazine’s website is rich with other information. I’ve been a subscriber since not long after I started writing. It’s my favorite comfortable-chair magazine. – Meg

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Meg Waite Clayton


Meg Waite Clayton is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of eight novels, including the Good Morning America Buzz pick and New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice THE POSTMISTRESS OF PARIS, the National Jewish Book Award finalist THE LAST TRAIN TO LONDON, the Langum-Prize honored THE RACE FOR PARIS, and THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS, one of Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Essential Best Friend Novels of all time. Her novels have been published in 23 languages. She has also written more than 100 pieces for major newspapers, magazines, and public radio, mentors in the OpEd Project, and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and the California bar. megwaiteclayton.com

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