I really enjoyed this interview with author and Rumpus founder Stephen Elliott at Days of Yore. I like how he distinguishes between writers who love literature and want to follow in that tradition and those who are screaming out to be heard basically because they’re working some stuff out that happened to them and there’s no one to talk to. I think there are probably combos of these two types, but I liked the way he described the distinction. I think I would probably put myself in the latter category. Anyhow, basically the whole article is a great read. And so is the site, with interviews with other artists about the time before they “made it.”