Saturday, August 27, 2011

The Catastrophe of Success

I recently read the essay The Catastrophe of Success by Tennessee Williams, which is located before the opening pages of his play, The Glass Menagerie (you can read the full essay here). He wrote about how success had changed him for the worse, making him cynical, distrustful, and lazy. He pointed out that a struggling writer, one who is hungry for wisdom and artistic release, is better off than a successful writer who no longer cared about the world around him.

He wrote, "Security is a kind of death, I think, and it can come to you in a storm of royalty checks beside a kidney-shaped pool in Beverly Hills or anywhere at all that is removed from the conditions that made you an artist, if that's what you are or were or intended to be."

It got me thinking about the outside factors that influence our writing. If a writer has faced extreme hardships, they can bleed those experiences onto the page. If a writer has only experienced a cushy, happy life, does their writing lack the same depth? I don't know.

Williams ends with, "Then what is good? The obsessive interest in human affairs, plus a certain amount of compassion and moral conviction, that first made the experience of living something that must be translated into pigment or music or bodily movement or poetry or prose or anything that's dynamic and expressive--that's what's good for you if you're at all serious in your aims."

From where I sit right now, success and royalty checks sound pretty darn good. I know I'll never have to worry about growing bored with five star hotels or kidney-shaped pools in Beverly Hills, but still. It reminded me that sometimes we strive for success without considering the flip side. Maybe it's a case of "be careful what you wish for."

Have you read this essay? And what's your impression of the above quotes?

And in case you missed it, I was a guest blogger over at the amazing Adventures in Children's Publishing, where I wrote about the power of going for it. I hope you'll stop by for a visit!

32 comments:

  1. NO WAY! I'm the first commenter!! I get a prize, right? LOL. ;D That's a really neat find! I love Tennessee Williams. Especially the Glass Menagerie and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. I'd love to read that essay sometime in it's entirety. But I think it's all part of the grand idiom; The grass is always greener...

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  2. Yay for the first commenter! *tosses chocolate at Lisa*

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  3. Great post here.

    Never read this essay before, but an incredible insight from one successful writer.

    I think everyone handles success different. Gotta always stay humble.

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  4. I think if you love writing for the writing then it is easy to stay humble. I do agree that hardships help build character and characters though. But let's not wish too many of those upon ourselves either :) Yikes for the kidney pool though, ours is like two kidneys. Promise not to change lol.

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  5. This is a good point. I think success comes in different measures. I DO want royalty cheques in the same way another person wants a pay cheque, not in the way another person wants to win the lottery.

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  6. Interesting. I've seen success breed complacency in fellow artists. It all goes back to the "why" have you invested your live in creativity.

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  7. I haven't read the entire essay yet, but I find this interesting.

    I'm aware success wrecks some people. But I believe the people who aren't changed as much by it have a sustained passion and curiosity that keeps them going.

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  8. Yes, that was a great guest blog post over at ACP! :) Hmm, VERY interesting about struggling writers often being the better off ones. Depends how success changes you, I suppose. For now, we should just concentrate on enjoying our writing, I guess, while we're on this side of the fence. :)

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  9. Let me be successful. I PROMISE to keep the hunger.

    There are plenty of authors who defy what he's saying. Probably depends on the author.

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  10. I mentally struggle with this idea all the time. I think it makes me a little too much like George Constanza, worrying about success and what it would mean for me. Will it mean too much time away from my family? Will deadlines and pressures turn my passion to drudgery? Will I achieve success only to turn away from it because it's no longer fun?

    But, darn it, I WANT THIS, so I'm going to give it my best shot. And there's wisdom in knowing the pitfalls before you arrive. I can address those worries and figure out how to make them workable before I find myself in the middle of crazy with no escape route.

    Thank you Julie and Tennessee. You make a good team ;)

    Becca @ The Bookshelf Muse

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  11. I love his quotes, but have not read his essay. I will. I do believe the quote, "be careful what you wish for..." Early on we must define success and hold onto the altruistic meaning of... whatever that might be. If success is grounded in core values... then the icing of wealth shouldn't impact to the negative. If success is based on wealth for the sake of money, then with that comes the evils. For me success means doing what I love and always reaching for my dreams. Living by a guiding code and being true to myself And working each day to make a life better for someone else. So, when the money comes from writing, that financial success shouldn't destroy my life, but enhance it.
    Thank you for a great discussion on an important subject!

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  12. You guys are so amazing. Thanks so much for tackling this unusual subject.

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  13. I haven't read this essay yet, but I will. I'll be honest, I haven't even thought about 'success' yet, it's far too early. Id like to think that I wouldn't change to much. I worry that I might end up 'censoring' myself in some way though, you know, if I actually start letting people read my work :-)

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  14. I just came from reading your interview. Great interview, and great philosophy with tangible results. Meanhwhile, I haven't read the Williams article, but I think success is one of those subjective words. For me, writing success would be having kids reading my books. I'm not out to make a million, although I would like the validation of a contract showing publishers take me seriously, etc. But the real success will be getting through the gate so that kids can read my books.

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  15. Very interesting, Julie. I have obviously heard of Williams, but knew very little about him. I'll take a look at the essay.

    -Jimmy

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  16. I studied Tennessee Williams in college. I really like his poems, and The Glass Menagerie is a must-read. He was a brilliant writer.

    Sometimes I wonder, what if I DO achieve everything I want?! You never know how you'll like it until you get it. So I remind myself to enjoy where I'm at right now. What will come, will come!

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  17. These quotes make you think and ponder the meaning. I write for myself and have no desire to be famous in anyway. I'd love to be published, but I don't want to be Stephanie Meyer, if that makes sense.

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  18. He makes a valid point, but I guess in the back of my mind, I don't worry about it because I can't see my self being rich or famous, nor do I write for that purpose. Fame and fortune have ruined many people. If you don't go into it a very grounded person, I can see how easily it could ruin you. If I'm going to be in a business that carries the possibility of fame, I'm glad it's publishing, because the odds are slim that I'll ever be a household name. I'd be happy to sell a few books and maybe get one fan letter:)

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  19. You, my writer friends, are brilliant, humble, and so easy to chat with.

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  20. It would be truly depressing to get to that stage - you're ridiculously successful and your dream has come true...and you've lost all passion for it. Sucky!

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  21. Okay, let's try this again - blogger keeps eating my comments...

    Interesting essay - success can do so many different things to so many different people. :)

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  22. I agree that security can bring stagnation which in itself is death to a writer. Never get too comfortable! :P Great post!

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  23. Ah, I haven't read that but it sounds fascinating. Great post!!

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  24. It's an age old problem. How interesting to have how old illustrated for us.

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  25. I'm glad I dropped in today to read this, Julie. I've been thinking a lot lately about what's important in this life and what isn't; about why or why not I want to keep writing stories/books.

    I read the essay at Wikipedia, and will probably copy it for future reference. Wouldn't have known about it if I hadn't stopped by. I saw and read a lot of Tennessee Williams in my thirties and forties. Great stuff that he wrote! I agree with him. We are made to struggle. It's in the struggle that character develops. For writers: we need wounds to finger to make powerful communications. How can we write about characters who struggle if WE haven't struggled?

    And if we achieve "SUCCESS...." Could be okay if we're ready for it. Ready to reach out to others. Ready to see that success really doesn't measure the depth of who we are, or who we might become.

    Lots of deep topics here. Your post opened up a floodgate of ideas. Excellent!
    Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror, A Memoir of Shattered Secrets

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  26. Julie, thanks for stopping by my blog. Youre entered in the contest.

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  27. Ann, it sounds as if this essay impacted you as much as it did me. I was so glad I read it. It keeps things in perspective.

    Elizabeth, thank you!

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  28. I have not read it, but now I am going to.
    I’ll swing over and read your guest post as well, thx for all you do.

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  29. I will head over to read the essay now -- but I just have to say that I do agree with him.

    For the majority of us, fame and fortune will change us, even if we don't think so. But I think we can succeed by focusing on what we're writing for.

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  30. Wow, that makes sense, and it's also scary!
    I love the posts that get you thinking, you know?
    Anyway, on my way to read your guest blog post! :D

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  31. I love the phrase "Be careful what you wish for." And I'm with you: I don't foresee five star hotels and kidney-shaped pools in Beverly Hills as part of my future, but the point is well-taken. It is important to stay grounded and true to what really matters--the writing.

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