When Belief In A God Dies, The

The Trap Into Which All Writers Have, Will, Or Should Fall Into, Of Writing The Great American Watchamacallit, Is Such An Uncluttered And Inviting One That From Time To Time I'm Sure Even The Greatest Have To Pull Themselves Up Short By The Shift Key To Remind Themselves That It Is Story First That They Should Write.

My Philosophy Of Life Is That The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing But Debasement, Frustration And Ignoble Deaths; That There Is Security In Personal Strength; That You Can Fight City Hall And Win; That Any Action Is Better Than No Action, Even If It's The Wrong Action; That You Never Reach Glory Or Self-fulfillment Unless You're Willing To Risk Everything, Dare Anything, Put Yourself Dead On The Line Every Time; And That Once One Becomes Strong Or Rich Or Potent Or Powerful It Is The Responsibility Of The Strong To Help The Weak Become Strong.

I Made As Many Mistakes As Anybody Else. I Sound As If I'm An Egomaniac, And I Suppose In Some Ways I'm Filled With Hubris Because I Know How Good I Am At Certain Things. But Other Things, I Can't Do At All. I Can't Draw.

Everyone Is Entitled To An *informed* Opinion.

I Know That Pain Is The Most Important Thing In The Universes. Greater Than Survival, Greater Than Love, Greater Even Than The Beauty It Brings About. For Without Pain, There Can Be No Pleasure. Without Sadness, There Can Be No Happiness. Without Misery There Can Be No Beauty. And Without These, Life Is Endless, Hopeless, Doomed And Damned. Adult. You Have Become Adult.