Why Write?

Why does any writer want to be read?

Substack: Writing

I’m going to make this a quick reflection because I want to move this morning over to a fictional autobiography I’m writing. The subject this morning is publication—or lack of it.

I am generally at my computer by six every morning. I start with my diary & then see where I go from there—generally, it’s to this book I’m writing. I also write political screeds twice a month that I publish in the local newspaper.

I like to publish those—they are part of a writing group I and Tim Jost formed to influence local opinion against the Trump regime. We’re trying to counter the inexplicable insanity of whoever is still voting for Trump. Basically, we know the current descent of American political reality is the consequence of the billionaire class ruling through bribes made possible by Citizens United—and the electoral college. I hope both of these will be overturned by the time I die.

That isn’t where I wanted to go this morning. I meant to address publication. I’m just going to touch what’s on my mind and take the subject up more fully the next time I decide to post on Substack.

Since I am a diary addict, I am used to writing to an audience of one, a predilection which brings up the question of why publish?

As I wrote above, I have a reason for wanting to publish my political writing. I don’t really have a very good reason for wanting to publish anything else I write—including brief essays like this. The desire to publish (i.e., to be read—or heard) is linked to age, which I will take up in my next Substack because I want to work on Unknown now.

[Note: this question also concerns Why Sing to anyone other than oneself? That lovely book, The Moonsinger]