A movement got started for common schools, and by the end of the 19th century, 91 percent of Americans could read and write.
Writing is an incessant process of discovery.
As I started reading about it, I saw that at the beginning of the 19th century, outside of New England - which was an unusually literate place - practically no one could read or write. And even in New England, the overall rate was only about 60 percent. That still means four out of 10 people couldn't put their name to a will.
Take the time to write. You can do your life's work in half an hour a day.
It's hell writing and it's hell not writing. The only tolerable state is having just written.