Subject: Michener1 From: Fred Zimmerman To: fzimmerm Michener, My Lost Mexico "As a consequence of these sobering experiences I concluded that the life of the writer in all its manifestations was held together not by a stout silver cord but by a very fragile golden thread, the kind that held the sword suspended over the head of Damocles, susceptible to breakage at any moment. Since there are enough outside agencies determined to destroy that thread, a writer was out of his or her mind if he or she did anything voluntarily to weaken it, like excessive drinking or drugs. Keeping a writing career alive and functioning was a full time job, one requiring both constant attention and the courage tomake difficult decisions."