A Conversation with
Elizabeth
1998
Merlin
From:
Elizabeth
To:
LMixson@PEC.com
Sent: Thursday,
April 30, 1998 4:02 PM
Subject: Merlin
I have the second two hours of Merlin on tape, but not the first.
It comes with the therapist movie and the seraphim episode of X-files,
if you don't find a source.
I'm not certain so much that I want to write a book, as I would like to
make a lot of money writing a book. Writing a book differs from my
motivation in wanting to write poetry, which I write and want to write
because its just "there" for me and creates itself virtually. A
book would be work of a sort. I have a friend with whom I've
talked to about this. We both feel we can write easily as well as
many of the best sellers, so why not do it. Writing seems to me
like an easy way out of perpetual employment, because I enjoy writing,
and reading, almost more than anything. It's salient on my mind
because the secretary across the hall wants to get started in marketing
some of her writings, and I have been trying to give her encouragement.
I loaned her my Writer's Market.
Yes, I'm serious, at least about the desire, or interest. Whether
I could or would make it a priority, or give it the time it would
require, is something I'd have to examine. We could write a
psycho-cyber-techno-legal blockbuster bestseller, make mega-bucks, and
retire early. You could buy an "old house" and I'd buy--I'm not sure
what--possibly a place close to the ocean.
Often when I read stories about computer persons who have made millions,
I wonder why you didn't. I just read about a computer major who
donated 3.5 million to his alma mater. At first I didn't know his
name, but then the article said he had founded "Innovative Interfaces."
That was the computer system I wanted the library to get so much.
It was so elegant to use. Recently I also heard about all the
microsoft and apple pioneers who made literally millions. It seems to me
you were right there in the middle of all this, when it was occurring,
except perhaps really it didn't occur in places like Florida. I
think a lot about critical mass when I read about people who became what
they are. Many scientists got their start because they lived in
places like New York or in big cities where they visited museums and got
"turned on" early. But then, I wonder why I didn't become a
scientist, but I can recall discrete prejudicial incidents which
hampered me psychologically.
Also, though, I was never monocular enough. Do you ever feel that
you got off track with your "life." You mentioned once letting
being an artist slip away. I love "the law" and it has an appeal
for me that hardly anything ever has had before, in part because it
moves and is hinged on "words." Yet, a small part of me still
feels, "This isn't it." I get bored so easily, even in law school.
Not from course to course, but within a course--after 12 weeks of
contracts, I'm sick of it. That's why I didn't take Torts II this
time, after Torts I, and took Domestic Relations instead. I'm
looking forward to the summer because I have two new courses, Property
and Constitutional Law, and only one continuation, Contracts II.
At some ultimate and required level, for example, I could never get
interested myself in doing what you do for a living, which is not to be
offensive, I just know I could not, just like I could never be an
accountant. I got rather bored with being a counselor as well.
After a while, I began to think, "I can't face another whiner or another
abused woman"--which often wasn't "fair" but was a signal to myself to
go and do something else. Enough to reflect on. Elizabeth
Updated: 04-05-2024