Great Regulars: And other writers surely admired--

and maybe envied a little--Mr. Updike's success, his ability to make a living just from the fashioning of sentences, without selling out himself or others. He seldom took an advance and he never tailored his work to suit the fashion. The literary life as he led it seemed a higher calling, not a grubby one. Charmed as it sometimes seemed, though, his career had its ups and downs. Not all his efforts were successful, and he took his share of lumps from the critics, especially in the later years. But he got up every day uncomplaining and went to his desk with joyful industriousness. He had a faith in the literary enterprise that was noble and touching.

from Charles McGrath: The New York Times: John Updike's Mighty Pen
also Charles McGrath: The New York Times Video Library: John Updike: A Life in Letters

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