Before I Had Children I Always Wondered

Although Salinger Had Long Since Cut Me Out Of His Life Completely And Made It Plain That He Had Nothing But Contempt For Me, The Thought Of Becoming The Object Of His Wrath Was More Than I Felt Ready To Take On.

My Job Is Writing. I Get Paid To Do It. When Was The Last Time You Heard Someone Challenge A Doctor For Making Money Off Of Cancer?

The Vehemence With Which Certain Critics Have Chosen Not Simply To Criticize What I've Written, But To Challenge My Writing This Story At All, Speaks Of What The Book Is About: Fear Of Disapproval.

I Have No Doubt That Over The Years My Children Will Find Plenty Of Things About Me To Criticize. But Something Tells Me That Twenty Years From Now Not One Of Them Will Sit On Some Therapist's Couch Complaining Because Their Mother Didn't Spend Enough Time Vacuuming Up Glitter.

Those Who Rhapsodize About The Ease And Joy Of Childhood Have Perhaps Forgotten What It's Like To Be 12 Years Old.