But this morning, I happened to read the back cover, which offered quotes like this: "Pico Iyer's remarkable talent is enough justification for going anywhere in the world he fancies," "The world's best travel writer," "He is most often called a travel writer, but if Iyer is only a travel writer, then so was Henry James," etc. and so on. And these reviews are from Washington Post Book World, the LA Times, etc., not Joe's Bookstore Gazette.
So anyway, I felt better. If this book doesn't end up QUITE as good as one written by the world's best travel writer, I, and my career, will probably survive. Take a deep breath, Mary Anne. Breathe. It'll be fine.
Also, my writing studio here has a chair covered in elephants, battered but beautiful. I'm going to sit in it as I work on the last revisions for this round of drafting, including the part about the elephants. That has to be a good omen, right? I will take whatever positive feedback I can get, even if it comes in the form of woven elephants.
I’ve been watching your revision posting with great empathy. How to structure of nonfiction makes it seem nearly impossible to puzzle but I have confidence you will do it.