“No writing is wasted. Did you know that
sourdough from San Francisco is leavened partly by a bacteria called
lactobacillus sanfrancisensis? It is native to the soil there, and does not do
well elsewhere. But any kitchen can become an ecosystem. If you bake a lot,
your kitchen will become a happy home to wild yeasts, and all your bread will
taste better. Even a failed loaf is not wasted. Likewise, cheese makers wash
the dairy floor with whey. Tomato gardeners compost with rotten tomatoes. No
writing is wasted: the words you can’t put in your book can wash the floor,
live in the soil, lurk around in the air. They will make the next words
better.” — Erin Bow
