". . . you've given up on writing anything important. . ."

I'm comfortable with my identity as a writer, but there's often a moment of hesitation before I answer the question of what I write.

When I talk about writing genre fiction in general and science fiction/fantasy in specific (and that's even before I mention working in young adult. . . ) I often get a dismissive response.

As if the kind of stories I write aren't 'important' enough.

So I was thrilled that I got linked to this video of Mike Wallace interviewing Rod Sterling in 1959 about the show he had in production: The Twilight Zone.

It's a 20+ minute interview, and well worth watching in its entirety. The beginning deals with censorship and sponsors. But it's somewhere past the 10 minute mark where Wallace starts to throw his zingers.

He says about Sterling's production of The Twilight Zone:

". . . you've given up on writing anything important for television."

 And Sterling rejects that assertion. He also goes on to reject the notion that something commercial can't also be artistically strong.


When he talked about the importance of never being ashamed of what one has created, I wanted to stand up and cheer.

Thank you, Mr. Sterling. Thank you. I am proud of everything I have written--all the work of fantasy and imagination I have created and have yet to create. These are important. They matter.

And I will not let anyone dismiss them.