On Awards, Briefly

Some awards are genuine recognitions of excellence, but I think it's a waste of time and creative energy to get all bothered about those that are essentially The War of the Cliques. If I want adoration, I have a lovely dog right here who is delighted to smother me with it.

Ego strokes can be a lovely thing when you're feeling that no one reads your stories and you wonder why you are wasting your time trying. The things that matter most to me are letters from readers whose lives have been touched by my work. That feedback is better than a ton of politically-manipulated awards.