RobArt Penguin

I’ve always been a fan of the Dickens classic, the dichotomy of two cities in such different circumstances. I like it so much that I make references to it in my futuristic sci-fi trilogy, Escape From Desolation. I believe in parallels in art, where great works echo in new works by different creators. Some call it a homage to the older artists. I believe we are all part of a greater community, and build off of each other (but not copy).

I’m slogging through a second pass of my third book in the trilogy. I live in two camps, two cities so to speak. One worries all the time about the potential commercial success of the book and whether I will meet accepted standards of what the pundits would say is a good book. My other camp says to heck with that and write what I want. Who cares how it is received… That part of me wants to pull a J.D. Salinger, go into my bunker, and write the way I want and never care who sees my work. My camps fight all the time, a battle between hiding or venturing out. So far, my first books have not made much impact. I get depressed about it, because of the camp that pushes so hard. The other one says I’ve already succeeded because I finished the books and got them out there. In the end, I march forward despite the chatter in my head. Finishing is my white whale…