On Literary Success: Thoughts from the community
As I get myself settled in here at Kerouac House, I thought I’d share with you one of my most popular newsletters from a couple of years ago which newer subscribers may not have seen. And if you have seen it, you may find it worth rereading. Writers such as Amber Sparks, Matt Bell, Amy Stuber, Maureen Langloss, Grant Faulkner, Matt Kendrick, and more answered the question, “What is your definition of literary success?”
At this time of year “success” is on our minds as we look back on the year gone past and judge ourselves against our own expectations and in relation to our peers. It’s also list season and nomination season. I’ve been thinking a lot about what success means for writers and artists.
“Things I gave up on: Pushcart: nominated 50 plus. NEA: 10 rejections. Breadloaf: applied 8 years in a row. McDowell: rejected 6 times. Things I got: Best American. Fulbright. Paterson Prize. Dodge Festival. Trust me, in the end what you didn't win won't. Mean. Shit.” ~Sean Thomas Dougherty
We live in a very goal-oriented, achievement-oriented, capitalist society. It’s ingrained in us. We’re socialized to want success and to go after it. We admire winners and go-getters. We want to be like them. We want to know their secrets. We believe if we just watch the TED Talk, read the self-help book, apply those tips to our art, we too will be successful!
A few weeks ago, I posed the question on Twitter: What does success mean to you? What are, for you, the tangible signs of success? What makes you feel successful, etc.? Over 200 writers responded and I got so many interesting answers. Here are a few:
AMY STUBER: “There’s the success of actually writing and feeling good about it and then the success of learning something you wrote affected another person and then the success we are taught to want (publications, books, accolades, etc).”
MAUREEN LANGLOSS: “Writing and reading have given meaning to my life. And what I want most is to lead a meaningful life. I feel I am doing that. Words are the shape that meaning takes for me. So I feel very successful & very lucky to have this life in writing.”