It Is Not That Sport, Over-indulged In,

Regard Yourself As A Small Corporation Of One. Take Yourself Off On Team-building Exercises (long Walks). Hold A Christmas Party Every Year At Which You Stand In The Corner Of Your Writing Room, Shouting Very Loudly To Yourself While Drinking A Bottle Of White Wine. Then Masturbate Under The Desk. The Following Day You Will Feel A Deep And Cohering Sense Of Embarrassment.

This Is The Paradox For Me: In Failure Alone Is There Any Possibility Of Success. I Don't Think I'm Alone In This - Nor Do I Think It's An Attitude That Only Prevails Among People Whose Work Is Obviously "creative".

I Prefer To Write First Drafts As Soon As Possible After Waking, So That The Oneiric Inscape Is Still Present To Me.

I Don't Think In Terms Of That Bizarre Tautology 'value For Money' In My Literary And Journalistic Work - And Nor Will I In My Academic Role. However, If I Don't Believe I'm Helping My Students Towards A Fuller And More Empowering Relationship With The World, Then I'll Resign.

The Only Proper Suit-and-tie Job I've Had In My Life Was The Two Years In The Late 1980s When I Ran A Small Corporate Publishing Company. I Even Had A Ford Sierra!