[stylist] Viewpoint on what we are reading

[Jackie Williams]

To all,
I have followed this stream and truly appreciate all of the books listed
with the excellent re-caps of them I have forwarded several of them to
writer friends..
Two viewpoints were expressed about reading a book to the end, even if you
lost interest, or disliked it.
While sides of finishing it or tossing it were informed, something was
overlooked.
As time goes by, priorities change on your purpose in both reading and
writing. Lynda suggested that it promotes sticking to other projects and may
lead to important changes in your ability to finish things.
 
At a certain point you have already formed your habits of whether you finish
distasteful projects, and you have made a judgement as to whether your stick
to it  spirit  is worth the time and effort. 
if you know your time is short, how ill-advised it might be to sweat over
something that may or may not change your character, or your viewpoint.
If you are young and a life of change awaits, by all means finish those
things that you know have value even if you don't appreciate them now. 
But if you know that you must be very selective in what projects will define
your life, and your abilities must be stretched to meet those objectives, do
not ever spend valuable time in going back unless it is pertinent to your
project.
I have not used the quote beneath my name lightly. 
Jackie Lee
 
Time is the school in which we learn.
Time is the fire in which we burn.
Delmore Schwartz