Excerpt from letter of Tennessee Williams to his agent Audrey Wood:<\/p>\n
Hotel Rembrandt, Tangier
\n10\/14\/53<\/p>\n…Just before I sailed for Europe this time, Bill Inge said to me, Tenn, don’t you feel that you are blocked as a writer? I told him that I had always been blocked as a writer but that my desire to write had always been so strong that it broke through the block. But this summer I’m afraid the block has been stronger than I am and the break-through hasn’t occured. The situation is much plainer than the solution. There is a mysterious weakness and fatigue in my work now, the morning energy expires in about half an hour, or an hour. I pick it up, artificially, with a stiff drink or two but this sort of “forced” energy is reflected in forced writing, which is often off-key and leaves me each day a little more depleted than the day before. I can’t help thinking that there is something physiological at the root of this, some organize trouble that is sapping the physical vitality that I need for good work.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I am most struck by his reply to William Inge – that he had “always been blocked as a writer”. But that his “desire to write had always been so strong that it broke through the block”. Wow. Such self-knowledge, first of all. But also, quite a new thought, in terms of Tennessee Williams – whose output (in retrospect) was so phenomenal. Reading his letters and journals show me a man who had to face his demons every day, when he sat down at his desk – and it’s also showing me that writing is a long-distance sport. You have to pace yourself. There will be brief spurts of energy, surging forward, but the rest of the time, you just need to have the fortitude to keep going<\/i>, realizing that you will not be inspired at all times … but to stop is to die. I guess I’m really inspired by the thought that someone like Tennessee Williams felt he was blocked as a writer. I have no desire to argue with him, or point to all of his great work, because – well, first of all, he’s dead – but second of all: I choose to trust his own assessment of his process, rather than have some kneejerk response to it, like, “He may have THOUGHT he had writer’s block – but look at this play, and that play, and how much he did …” A boring response that would have more to do with me<\/i> than any critical assessment of Williams’ work. The whole blocked-as-a-writer conversation pushes a button in me, it sure does … I recognize that, I take it personally … and it’s a gift to realize that he always<\/i> felt that he was blocked. Always. <\/p>\n
Food for thought … definitely food for thought.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Excerpt from letter of Tennessee Williams to his agent Audrey Wood: Hotel Rembrandt, Tangier 10\/14\/53 …Just before I sailed for Europe this time, Bill Inge said to me, Tenn, don’t you feel that you are blocked as a writer? I … Continue reading