[Terese Coe]

Lawdie, lawdie. I didn't want to get into this thread, but a few passing remarks:

Shaun, without having read every single post in this thread, I'd say the second quote presupposes the reader has a sense of humor.

Thank heaven for Roger, Alicia, Jane, Susan and possibly some others along the way.

As for the "one hour" of time to herself, I'm afraid writing demands a hell of a lot more time (in one sitting) than that--unless you're doing ditties and limericks. Or taking notes.

Motherhood and writing from the Sixties on: well, my personal experience is that you had to be canny, improvisatory, even ingenious to pull it off. Ha. And even then there wasn't enough time. Too much time spent being in love: another major time consumer for young and not-so-young women, whether pre- or post-feminist (perhaps equally so for young/not-so-young men? I can't say). But this is too huge a subject to tackle here.

I find the word "sacrifice" sounds an artificial note here. Way too melodramatic. You choose your priorities and take responsibility for them (stoically, one would hope). On the other hand, sitting in an office for 40 years and trying to write in your "leisure" time really is a sacrifice, as is giving up all thought of having a child because art comes first (I mean for those who would otherwise want a child).