I never wanted to teach “creative writing” or be a writer-in-residence, burdened with students’ writing and required to go to staff meetings.

I never wanted to teach “creative writing” or be a writer-in-residence, burdened with students’ writing and required to go to staff meetings. My belief that fiction writing cannot be taught would make me unwelcome in most English departments. But encouragement is necessary to anyone in the arts—to any youthful ambition—so perhaps the value of a writing program is just that, encouragement.

PAUL THEROUX