I listened to the radio with astonishment earlier this week as a teacher told a Today presenter that, contrary to what cynics like to think, children studying English in England and Wales do indeed have "whole books" on the syllabus.
Gore Vidal's writing routine was simple: "First coffee, then a bowel movement, then the Muse joins me." Not for him the agonies of staring at a blank page and wondering how to fill it.
