Only the Lonely (119)

“Writing, at its best, is a lonely life. Organizations for writers palliate the writer’s loneliness, but I doubt if they improve his writing. He grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness and often his work deteriorates. For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he must face eternity, or the lack of it, each day. 
”

Ernest Hemingway

Edna O’Brien, author of Country Girl, and many other books has recently been giving interviews and has shared a bit more of her life through her autobiography.  She is an Irish author compared in a way to Yeats with more of a view of the feminine side of life. 

I have read her books and have been interested in her words about her own life and more importantly, the life of a writer.  The thing that struck me over and over was that she said she has always been lonely and she thinks most writers are.

What connection is there between writing and loneliness?  A great deal, I believe.  First of all, it is important for a writer to have time to write.  If one is on ones own, there is more time for creative thinking and pursuits.  Also, if one is on ones own, there can be a brooding about being alone.  More than that, I think if a person is lonely, they carry that with them even when they are in a relationship or in a crowd.  That, I believe, is what Edna O’Brien is saying.

There is something in the pursuit of writing that requires the writer to separate him/herself from others and delve into the story and characters. Much like people in acting professions, writers become a part of their own stories.

Maybe this is the reason creative people have a harder time with relationships than others. If a person is innately lonely, the ‘treasured person’ or ‘other half’ must surely feel this. The loneliness of the artist is perceived by the partner as a type of rejection, furthering the loneliness of the artist. Or, if the writer is fortunate, the ‘other’ is willing to accept that loneliness aspect and be a part of the rest of the writer’s life. I think of Hemmingway, Piccaso, Beethoven, Van Gogh, of course O’Brien, and so many, many others.

If you haven’t had an opportunity to read any of O’Brien’s work, you may want to check out the Country series. Lonely or not, she manages to spin a great yarn and introduce the reader to some fascinating characters.