What comes through this dipsy-doodle is a longing for acceptance a group hug. Even though Ms. See has published many novels, teaches English at UCLA and serves on the board of the Modern Library (I demand an investigation), she mentions her brushes with "names" such as Joan Didion, John Updike and Shelby Foote in golly-gee wonderment, sounding ore like a lucky fan than a fellow toiler. She's so desperate to please that she still has to stop herself from tacking a quesion mark at the end of her name, Valleygirl style, when she introduces herself on the phone to editors. All those decades writing and teaching and attending confrences, and Carolyn See is still paying for approval, trying to find the secret password that'll admit her to the clubhouse.
from BOOKSHELF by James Wolcott, "The Next Bestselling Author--Why Not You?" a review of Making a Literary Life by Carolyn See, The Wall Street Journal.
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