No one will openly tell you how absolutely difficult it is to stay not only

relevant in our ever-changing climate – but how to stay careered, and

constantly producing interesting and creative works during a lifetime. Most

of these so-called job skills can’t be learned in a classroom or seminar –

they must be earned by hard work and a special kind of dedication to the

craft. Douglas Kennedy and I both share an affinity for this subject – each

of us sharing a history of facing rejection and dealing with the critics.

This in fact goes back to Kennedy’s early days as a writer, and trying,

unsuccessfully, to impress some members of the supposed elite at his

University’s literary journal.