“Truth is such a rare thing, it is delightful to tell it.” Emily Dickenson

          The truth is relative. Unfortunately, this makes its very definition void. Can we ever be aware of an “absolute truth” when it varies from person to person depending on their individual experiences and perspectives? Surely, holding an honest opinion on something is the closest we can get to expressing our versions of reality. Either that, or every single one of us are liars. 

          Metaphysics aside, it is no myth that the truth is much easier to write down than to say out aloud. This is perhaps why so many people keep diaries throughout their lifetimes. However, very rarely are diaries fantastical enough to make good reading material for an outsider. In the rare case that they are - something very, very bad has happened to the author.
          Writing is often described as a form of escapism, but for Cheever, the consequences of writing were something that had to be escaped. He took solace in alcohol to which he eventually became addicted. It is no surprise then that themes related to liquor can be found in his stories, including “Reunion” and “O’ Youth and Beauty”. Although we may try, it is near impossible to write something without leaving a lingering sense of ourselves in it.  In Cheever's case, it's the lingering stench of gin. So, regardless of whether truth has any place in writing or not, it certainly does wriggle its way in. 

"People on the outside think there's something magical about writing, that you go up in the attic at midnight and cast the bones and come down in the morning with a story, but it isn't like that. You sit in back of the typewriter and you work, and that's all there is to it." (Harlan Ellison, science fiction writer)

           Luckily, I would describe myself more as a reader than a writer. I therefore avoid getting trapped in the narcissistic struggle  of answering a question that essentially begs “Am I, as a writer special, and if so, why?”  Maybe I’ll fight that battle one day.
          Joseph Epstein reckons that there are  “major writers and minor writers, and somewhere in between there is, or at least ought to be, another category known as `special writers.’ Special writers are those we react to in a special, usually quite personal way, for we feel a kinship between their imaginations and our own.” I suppose this is exactly why most people, including myself, keep reading material by a particular author. We feel that that the writer is speaking directly to us, communicating with us, and that spiritual communion (as corny as it sounds) is very special. 

            Writing, to me is exactly that- a form of communication, a way of expressing oneself.  After all, it seems to be the only way to talk without interruptions. And if you have thousands not only waiting, but paying to hear what you have to say then kudos to you. That’s therapy ticked off the list.

            Expressing oneself isn't limited to writing though. Are dancers, painters, photographers and cooks equally as special as the writer? I would say so. After all, no one art is greater than another.