“So you miss tragedy? That’s a strange reason to leave!”
“Oh, I miss so many things here! Smells, the taste of food, the basic feeling of tiredness when I walk. But most of all I miss emotions. Any emotions. I feel like a fish in distilled water here. Tell me, I’m not the only writer here, am I? There are others, too, aren’t there? And painters, composers, architects…. what are they doing here?”
“Nothing, believe it or not. They are satisfied with their life.”
“”Satisfied with life”… That doesn’t mean they are happy. Remember what Byron said to Thorvaldsen when the latter set out to sculpt his bust: “Don’t make a successful man out of me”.
“Who are you writing for? Aren’t you writing for people who are just as idle?”
“To be absolutely honest with you, I am writing for myself. It sound
