I’ve been reading Jack Kerouac’s Vanity of Duluoz, towards the end of which he describes the way William Burroughs showed support for him in the early years, motivating him to write more as he experimented and found his voice and the courage to tell his story.
Jack would show William his work and say “Well …?” and Will would read it, and finish reading it, and then nod his head and say “Good, good.”
Jack would ask: What specifically did you think about it?
Will would reply: “Why, I don’t specifically think of it. I just rather like it, is all.”
Jack would blush, perhaps feeling he was being prideful in some way expecting and desiring praise, and he would meekly say “Well … it was fun writing it.”
And Will would nod sagely and ask Jack how his family was doing.
I’d read about this interaction before and it was presented as something Jack found frustrating. It can certainly be upsetting, having put your heart and soul into some work, to show that work, especially to a valued friend, and get almost nothing in response. But here, Jack seems to value what his friend did for him when he writes that “he, yes, waited for more. Elsewhere there was only established fact and ruinous retreat.” However little William offered in the form of constructive criticism or stirring praise, he was always there waiting for more. Jack had a reader, and that was enough to motivate him to keep going. To say the same thing another way: he had a friend when he needed one.
Lee Watkins 
Last year I wrote a short story set in my home city and written in my dialect. My sister read it aloud and was so moved. When I posted it online, many of my friends read it and told me I made them laugh and then cry at the end. They asked for part 2. It’s probably not a story that a literary person would find good, but I was truly happy that my family and friends enjoyed reading it. Yes, it feels good to have a reader. Even one is enough.
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Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you can relate. Have you thought about translating the short story into English and sharing it on your blog? I’d like to read it if you ever do
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Oh that’s sweet of you, Lee. Thank you. 🙏 Just yesterday I asked an editor friend if she could read my master’s thesis written over 20 years ago to see if it can be published. I wrote 5 fantasy/sci-fi stories in English. If they don’t get published, I’ll just post them on my (English) blog. 😊
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And if they do get published let us know! What was the thesis about?
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The title of my thesis is The Door and Other Stories: Finding the Real in the Unreal. I discussed magical realism, science-fiction, surrealism and kafkaesque, and the authors and works that influenced my writing. And the second part is the collection of stories. I haven’t written a story in English in over 20 years. 😌
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It sounds really interesting! I hope you’ll keep us posted about how it goes getting all these published. Maybe you’ll feel inspired one day to write a new story in English too? Good luck with it all!
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Thanks again, Lee!!
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