William James talked about “the bitch goddess success,” and the strange sacrifices that it takes from us.  Today, the same might be said of the pursuit of fame.  Whether it’s thousands of “Likes” on Facebook, millions of Twitter followers, ones own reality show, or simply 24/7 adulation, today fame is both the holy grail and the ultimate aphrodisiac.

But think how sad it would be to achieve fame, only after you're gone.  The idea of posthumous success is what drives Richard Vetere new novel The Writers Afterlife

My conversation with Richard Vetere: