On Solitude

Transcript:

I think all writers need to cultivate solitude. It’s very hard to come by in this culture now where there’s so much going on and so much stimulation and emphasis on busyness and on accomplishment, but just that half an hour, when you manage to get outdoors and take a little walk around the block. Just a little quiet, without earbuds in your ears without noise coming in at you from all directions is really the way to nourish your creativity. I don’t think there’s any other way. I think without that, particularly as we get older, we all feel that we are running dry, because so much is going out and so little is coming in. So just even to mark on your calendar, a half hour when you are without noise without stimulation without devices without people. So you can notice the sky and the trees and breathe a little bit. Absolutely essential, I think.