Alex Haley was one of my neighbors when I was living in Norris, Tennessee. He would come by the Museum of Appalachia to see owner and local author John Rice Irwin. Haley and I would often get into long discussions about writing and achieving one's dreams.
He told me of the many times he'd been rejected when trying to get his novel ROOTS published, and told me not to get discouraged. He also told me something else I've used as a mantra to aspiring writers: "If someone tells you you're a fantastic writer, the best they've read, don't believe 'em,&quo more...
