In the June edition of New English Review, our literary doctor considers the doctor-patient relationship, its influence on literature, and how great writers are made.

I have a little one myself and I think I know how I came by it: the lack of love in my household when I was a child. By nature, I was affectionate; the shard was at first protective against the disappointed need for love, but then became an obstacle without, however, becoming so great as to be an advantage in a literary career (irrespective of any lack of talent).