Reading about writing and then writing about reading

I was about to write that sometimes I stumble on a book that changes something for me, but that's not quite true these days. I've been finding, by referral and by accident, book after book that is pushing me to write. Today, however, I'm quoting from Mary Pipher's Writing to Change the World, a book that is changing me. In a section about getting started she quotes Mark Twain:

The human race is a race of cowards. I am not only marching in the parade, I am carrying a banner.

The open and undefended straightforwardness of Twain's statement stopped me cold and gives me hope. It gives me the energy to write and be a banner carrier myself. What could be more human that this? This is one of the great hopes for the internet and thousand-flowers-blooming blogosphere. As frustrating as it is to keep up with what's being written, it's also very pleasurable to keep finding new inspiriation. We're already marching in the parade. Now it's time to unfurl the banners. Speaking for myself, I need all the support I can get.

[Update 2006-06-17: fixed a punctuation typo in the quote.]

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