How do you thank someone like Woody Allen or Milan Kundera—when they have shared ideas with you that are no less than life-saving, when they have given you some of your happiest moments, sharing what they have learned like a parent or a friend? Do you hunt them down and shake their hand? Do you ask for their autograph? Would that even the balance? And how do you thank Orson Welles or Oscar Wilde—people who are no longer with us? There is only one way to show your gratitude, and that is to give their precious gift back, return it the way you received it: write.
Anthony Marais
writing-life