The Invisible (Wo)man and Her (Not So) Invisible Pen

Once, the writer was invisible. It was not uncommon for novels to be published under pseudonyms. Did you know that George Orwell’s real name was Eric Blair? Or that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was first published anonymously?

Things are different today. Published authors go on tours (like rock-stars!) to publicise novels. Some authors have become minor celebrities, appearing on television and at red carpet premiers.

But should that be the case? Or should writers be invisible?

Emily Dickenson was an invisible poet. She was something of a recluse, and only published twelve poems in her whole life. She even went as far to write a poem in direct criticism of the idea of selling her words into print. I very much suspect, however, that her real reasons were more to do with the publishers wishing to remove her precious, precious dashes. I—really do not—like—the fact that—she—uses at least—one—per line. The result is that her work was simply published after her death.

Blink and you'll miss it.

I personally believe that understanding the writer is an important part of understanding the writing. The Lord of the Rings is an excellent example of this. It is, without a doubt, one of the most consistently misunderstood books in the whole of the English language. Most people read it in near-total ignorance of Tolkien the writer. Not to mention without also reading The Silmarillion. As a result, they miss the intricate and elaborate mythology he constructed, a mythology which confirms his place as one of the all-time great writers. Should he be invisible? No. Such a thing would be tragic.