On Envy, the MFA, and Writing Under Capitalism
“No one had told me to prepare myself for this—for wanting what someone else had.”
POV is inconsistent; needs a proper ending; too many extra characters—
graduate student.
What a fake name, Honestly, Donovan is the fakest name I’ve ever heard come through a wall.
thwack.thwack.thwack thwack.
Is my story salable? Is this weird, treacly little thing I made in my apartment and honed in workshop ever going to reach people and affect them in a meaningful way? thwack
What are we all competing for? The same Pulitzer Prize? The same review? There’s more than one way for a book to succeed. There’s room enough for everyone.
I think I should go to bed, It’s already been kind of a long night for me.
You’re crying,
You know you’re a really good writer, right?
TheNew Yorker.
Stop thinking like it’s a zero-sum game, Celebrate people’s’ awesomeness instead of wanting what they have. Can’t I do both?
Yes,It’s really difficult.
I can’t keep reassuring you of your talent, Nothing I say sticks with you.
Nothing’s going to be enough for you. You could publish this book to acclaim, win a bunch of awards, get your own HBO series, and you’d still be flopped on this couch like a corpse at the end of the day.
I’m Aviva, I’m from Chicago and I’m eight years old. I think I have what it takes to be MasterChef Junior!
It’s OK! You got this, Lila!
If these ten-year-olds aren’t envious of one another, then surely I can get my shit together. We should all be like these kids. These kids are more famous than I or anyone I know will ever be. other
More by this author
Election: On Brain Trauma, Queerness, and Digging for Old Coke Bottles in Cleveland
“We were confident we’d wake up into a business-as-usual capitalist democracy.”
More in this series
Count It All What? On Titling My Novel
“The idea that a title could dissuade a reader was not something I had even considered.”
How to Write a Screenplay in a Café
“Whether or not I find the café I want, the screenplay is waiting.”
The Tides of Success: A Two-Artist Marriage Confessional
You loved his talent first. You hope that he will not love you less, for all that you do not now achieve.