American writers, at least those of us who are fortunate enough to support ourselves in the field, are by and large a lucky lot.

Bonnie and Clyde, while one of the best movies ever made, was far more interested in portraying Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker as romantic anti-establishment Robin Hoods than what they really were: white-trash spree killers.

From time to time, just about every Vanity Fair writer has a chance to sell rights to an article or a book to Hollywood.

Im accustomed to Internet forums where rudeness and incivility are the rule, where too many people seem to take pride in their insults.

The underground is not a place but a way of life. You can be underground most anywhere, from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Hermosa Beach, California.

American writers, at least those of us who are fortunate enough to support ourselves in the field, are by and large a lucky lot.