Arrogance and the Writer

Writers are creative, yet I remain amazed at the things writers can find to be arrogant about.

Some of the nicest people I've ever met are scribes, but writers certainly have the ability to be (fill in the blank)-er than thou.

I was at a conference once where a writer was introduced with the proud preface that he had a novel that had sold 1,200 copies. The underlying message was, of course, that it was such a brilliant work that it was not for the unwashed masses but for those brilliant few with pipes and patches on their tweed elbows.

So low sales=cause for arrogance.

Of course high sales likewise is a cause for arrogance.

I suppose arrogance is the shield against the world's slings and arrows and the world's indifference so well identified by Stephen Crane:

A man said to the universe:
"Sir I exist!"
"However," replied the universe,
"The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation."


It's not just writers. Pick a profession. All posture and preen.

If you catch me being arrogant just slap me. I don't want to be. I don't deserve to be.

I'm bored with arrogance.

I just want to ramble about my enthusiasms and struggles and breath my share of the air and eat my share of the guacamole dip.

Really that should be enough.