The link below will take you to the text of a speech uttered by one Richard Mitchell, once a professor of classics at Glassboro State in New Jersey.

Mitchell passed on one year ago.  I did not know him well, but considered him a mentor.  His writing taught me to read.

Since first encountering his work, I have re-read his four books and dozens of uncollected essays each year.  I always find something new in them.

I chose this essay to link to this board because I know a lot of people here are or consider themselves writers, and this piece is Mitchell's take on what it means to be a writer.

For the more conspiracy-oriented folks, it might interest you to know that the CIA were rumored to be among the subscribers' list for Mitchell's self-published magazine, The Underground Grammarian.

All of Mitchell's published (and some unpublished) work is available online.  He is among a very small group of writers whose work demands (and repays) re-reading.  Try it.

http://www.radiofreemike.com/speechframe.html

Enjoy,

Herring405