And two sites I wanted to record. First, a plug for the US edition - http://www.nydailynews.com/01-22-2004/entertainment/books/story/157074p-137949c.html and secondly a great site for book reviews, interviews etc - www.cercles.com

Am cack-handed today - losing stuff and sending without finishing. Re Highsmith's comment, have been wondering about the boundaries of writers, maybe all artists, i don't know. If you spend your life trying to imagine yourself into someone else's mind, then it's hard to be normal in company, surely. You have to put up barriers if you're going to stay 'on' for your writing.

Just typed out a whole chunk but it's gone missing. Will probably appear again and I'll repeat myself endlessly. Reading Patricia Highsmith's biography 'Beautiful Shadow'. The contents page alone is poetic - Chapter 6 - A trail of unmade beds, Chapter 12 - Instantly I love her, Chapter 18 - A Lurking liking for those that flout the law, Chapter 35 - Art is not always healthy and why should it be?
Highsmith likens the artist to a spider spinning a web from within itself, and less prettily said it was necessary to strip away the protective patch of normality to reveal the festering wound underneath.