squalor

A couple of weeks ago I attended the New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference. Even though I met many wonderful people, renewed acquaintances and listened to inspiring lectures, the thing that I most appreciated learning was that all successful children’s book authors had incredibly messy homes. In fact, the more successful the author, the more unsightly their homes were--as evidenced by Linda Sue Park's claim that her housework was so neglected that her home became unsanitary.

This may seem like a small thing, but this knowledge brings me immense comfort. I enjoyed the idea that this theory works on a sliding scale— that the more disorderly the household, the more brilliant the created literature. Then the squalor of our home would therefore indicate that I have written at the very least the next War and Peace, if not the Bible.