Edward P. Jones on Studio 360

There's so much emphasis on publishing (and this site is no exception) that it's not hard to start to feel discouraged when the material rewards of writing fail to come. Which is why I continue to be inspired by Edward P. Jones -- he reminds me that it takes time to become a really good writer, and that with patience and hard work, the rewards do come. He spent 18 years summarizing articles for a tax magazine before finally making it, which he did in a big way (he won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Known World in 2003). But I like to think that the biggest reward of all was in becoming such an exquisite writer. The Pulitzer only confirmed the fact that he stands among a pretty select group of writers.

I could go on for pages, and there's a much better source of Edward P. Jones information. If you're not familiar with his story, you can hear the man himself interviewed last week on Studio 360.