Response from Edith

My dear John,

You seem to be the same youngster I taught as you are now. You were always so determined, ignoring harsh criticism from everyone, especially me. And for some apparent reason, I feel a bit guilty. Perhaps I pushed you too hard, teachers occasionally do that you know. We are constantly hit with mottoes like "if you put your mind to it anything is possible" or "push yourself to the limits." And after some time we honestly believe that, not knowing when enough is enough or where the limit is. So, please accept this apology because I feel as if the criticism I provided has made you feel less confident about your works. And if I'm not mistaken, I detect a hint of coldness in your claims towards me because of this.

The formula, Mr. Steinbeck, was not like if A=2 & B=3 then A+B=5. The "formula," for writing exceptional literature, differs for everyone, something you have failed to grasp. And to be frank, imagination was something you never mastered. You focus too much on facts & proof, & I've tried to teach you to open your mind a little & explore. John, you have a recognizable talent that very few of my students have ever possessed, & you are lucky that you've been given the chance to share it with the rest of the world. But you bottle it in yourself, too obsessed with becoming exact & perfect. And that's why there is fear in not only your writing, but the actual act in writing it.

It is normal for some fear to be present in a writer; rejection is never an easy thing to accept. But your secret formula, John, is to be able to accept that rejection. Once you have overcome your fears, you will realize that that writer is not "happily unaware of the remote and tantalizing majesty of the medium" as you put it, but merely able to overlook that very thing that forces him to be perfect. That is what makes a writer worthy of being an authour.

P.S. And if you don't believe me, reread your Nobel Prize acceptance speech. Anyone who uses such concentrated vocabulary has got to be worthy of something. Don't you agree?

Yours Truly,
Mrs. Edith Mirrielees