Joseph Heller was a genius.
Posted On May 27, 2026
If you haven’t read Joseph Heller’s novel, Catch 22, I highly recommend it. I first read it in college. I hated it at the time. I didn’t understand it. Now that I’m (much) older and have more life experience, I get it.
(Spoilers Ahead)
I won’t give a lengthy retelling of the book here. I’m just going to tell you what I believe to be central theme. And there is every chance that I won’t explain this perfectly so, you know, grain of salt and all.
Everything in life is a Catch 22. The book explains a Catch 22 as a sort of basic impossibility of something that should be more simple. There is a character in the book who you can never get an appointment with because he only makes appointments when he is unavailable. Another character can’t get married because she says only someone who is crazy would want to marry her and she wouldn’t want to be married to a crazy person.
I feel like I am caught in a Catch 22 right now. I desperately want to find my readers but I can’t because no one knows my writing yet. It’s hard to build up a following when no one is willing to give you a chance.
Sure, I have a few faithful cheerleaders, who I appreciate in a way I can’t even even describe. But beyond that, I feel like I am trying to get someone to give me a chance but no one will because they are all waiting for someone to give me a chance first. TO tell them it is okay.
And in this day and age, you need several someones to give you a chance before you can truly be accepted. I know my writing won’t suit everyone’s taste. I just hope I manage to find the ones who enjoy the escape my writing provides.
Until then, I’ll just keep writing. Even if it is only for me and my faithful cheerleaders.
(Spoilers Ahead)
I won’t give a lengthy retelling of the book here. I’m just going to tell you what I believe to be central theme. And there is every chance that I won’t explain this perfectly so, you know, grain of salt and all.
Everything in life is a Catch 22. The book explains a Catch 22 as a sort of basic impossibility of something that should be more simple. There is a character in the book who you can never get an appointment with because he only makes appointments when he is unavailable. Another character can’t get married because she says only someone who is crazy would want to marry her and she wouldn’t want to be married to a crazy person.
I feel like I am caught in a Catch 22 right now. I desperately want to find my readers but I can’t because no one knows my writing yet. It’s hard to build up a following when no one is willing to give you a chance.
Sure, I have a few faithful cheerleaders, who I appreciate in a way I can’t even even describe. But beyond that, I feel like I am trying to get someone to give me a chance but no one will because they are all waiting for someone to give me a chance first. TO tell them it is okay.
And in this day and age, you need several someones to give you a chance before you can truly be accepted. I know my writing won’t suit everyone’s taste. I just hope I manage to find the ones who enjoy the escape my writing provides.
Until then, I’ll just keep writing. Even if it is only for me and my faithful cheerleaders.