To those of you who feel your mind slipping away when confronted by further questions and arguments about such matters as the difference between fiction and nonfiction, the alleged death of the novel, short story or drama, the contention that journalism is now the "real" kind of writing, or whether it is possible to be a writer at all any more, I recommend Edward Hoagland's essay "Books, Movies, the News" [in his book "The Courage of Turtles"]. In a passage I intend to quote whenever such topics arise, Mr. Hoagland explains that "prose has no partitions now…. No forms exist anymore, except that to work as a single observer, using the resources of only one mind, and to work with words—that is being a writer."

Mr. Hoagland is a writer. He even believes in being a writer, and is not in despair that his craft will become...