January 18, 2016

 

Dear Hildie:

 

Happy MLK Day!

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence for CRIMES OF ARTEMUS KEEL. I value your ideas on revisions. I don’t know about one of the great American novels, but thanks, anyway. My problem is I have so many stories in me I feel like I’m letting one risk dying if I spend too much time on another. I have this urge to get all these stories out. I know, that’s amateurish—my former agent said I never gave my “talents a chance to mature.” New York-speak for concentrate on quality, not quantity. But I feel; like I’m in such a race against time, and the other night I had a dream with a plot that really seized me, which is rare, because I seldom get anything creative from dreams. It was a familiar plot, the theme of which I dream about often—Going into the jungle to visit a lost tribe or place. Typical her-quest stuff. Arch-typal.

 

Oh, well.

 

Good to have seen you even for a little while.

 

Love,

 

M