This reminds me of the great writer Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) and my personal muse, Beryl Markham, who beat themselves to death on the brick wall of the arrogant, puerile, useless Denys Finch-Hatton. Both of those women, monumental talents in their own right, sold themselves down the river for this limp wrist manipulator. He was very generously portrayed by Robert Redford in Out of Africa, but a far deeper investigation into his life and his behavior belied the credit given him.

One has to wonder what both these women might have also accomplished had he not been the ass that he was. For my part, Markham led a breathtaking life on her own terms which is why she’s my muse. She paid for it dearly, but my god what a trail she left to follow.