Every Time An Old Person Dies, It's

I Travel A Lot. It Used To Be, When I Would Go To Any Country, I Could Guarantee That The First Question Would Establish My Name, And The Fact That I've Written Roots, And The Third Question, At Least No Later Than The Fourth Question Would Not Be A Question, So Much As A Statement, Something Like, "we Understand That In America White People Do Such And Such Bad Things To Black People."

Roots Is Not Just A Saga Of My Family. It Is The Symbolic Saga Of A People.

Many A Young Person Tells Me He Wants To Be A Writer. I Always Encourage Such People, But I Also Explain That There's A Big Difference Between Being A Writer And Writing. In Most Cases These Individuals Are Dreaming Of Wealth And Fame, Not The Long Hours Alone At The Typewriter. You've Got To Want To Write, I Say To Them, Not Want To Be A Writer. The Reality Is That Writing Is A Lonely, Private And Poor-paying Affair. For Every Writer Kissed By Fortune, There Are Thousands More Whose Longing Is Never Requited. Even Those Who Succeed Often Know Long Periods Of Neglect And Poverty. I Did.

I Wasn't Going To Be One Of Those People Who Died Wondering What If? I Would Keep Putting My Dreams To The Test - Even Though It Meant Living With Uncertainty And Fear Of Failure. This Is The Shadowland Of Hope, And Anyone With A Dream Must Learn To Live There.

Beginning Writers Must Appreciate The Prerequisites If They Hope To Become Writers. You Pay Your Dues - Which Takes Years.