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On Bad Reviews

I don't have any reviews yet--one of the perks of being unpublished, right?--but this quote from author Roddy Doyle in the Guardian newspaper seems like an accurate summary of what my feelings would be:

"An Irish Times review of a reading I gave of one of my children's books, Rover Saves Christmas, in Dublin. The reviewer referred to 'the stench of celebrity vanity'. I've seen him many times since. I've even said hello to him. But I will, eventually, kill him."


I'm sure I'll have more to say once I get a bad review. I can hardly wait.

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