“You take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.”

I just noticed that today is Erica Jong‘s birthday. It was written in my Moleskine. She is 65 today. Happy Birthday Erica!

Erica is a brilliant, prolific writer, whose most successful book so far has been Fear Of Flying. I bought it because I vaguely recalled the name, & once I started reading it, I was absolutely obsessed. I would sometimes read it under my desk, in secret, at work. It also made me laugh out loud on the bus several times — the sign of a great book. My copy is marked with streaks of pink where I highlighted the “best bits”.

“Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to the dark place where it leads.”

Potential ways to celebrate:

Read Fear Of Flying or any of her other books

Look at your husband & consider his flaws

Spend time on the Upper West Side of Manhattan

Consider a tawdry affair with your therapist

Write her quotes on your window or mirror in whiteboard pen

Read Erica’s weekly tips for writers

Remember this: “People don’t complete us. We complete ourselves. If we haven’t the power to complete ourselves, the search for love becomes a search for self-annihilation; & then we try to convince ourselves that self-annihilation is love.”

“Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it’s cracked up to be. That’s why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don’t risk everything, you risk even more.”