“An author’s strong belief and enthusiasm will affect the writing of the book and often the publisher’s commitment to it.”

“An author’s strong belief and enthusiasm will affect the writing of the book and often the publisher’s commitment to it.”

“I was impressed with Jack [Kerouac]’s commitment to serious writing at the expense of everything else in his life. At a time when the middle class was burgeoning with new homes, two-tone American cars, and black-and-white TVs, when American happiness was defined by upwardly mobile consumerism, Kerouac etched a different existence and he wrote in an original language.”

“A writer who’s a pro can take on almost any assignment, but if he or she doesn’t much care about the subject, I try to dissuade the writer, as in that case the book can be just plain hard labor.”