On Writing

There’s a line I like from Gertrude Stein: “It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing.” I’m no genius, but I do love to sit around doing nothing. Even when you think you’re doing nothing, your mind can be at play in a way that’s ultimately useful if you’re a writer.
— Philip Connors*

*who gets a lot of time “doing nothing” with a mind “at play” while serving as a fire tower lookout in the Gila Wilderness