"I'd be happy to. My own particular field of endeavor lies in re-creating the works of Joseph Conrad, an author who lived in the pre-atomic era."
"How do you go about re-creating those works, sir?"
"Well, at present I am engaged in my fifth re-creation of Lord Jim. To do it, I steep myself as thoroughly as possible in the original work. Then I set about rewriting it as Conrad would have written it if he had lived today. It is a labor which calls for extreme diligence, and for the utmost in artistic integrity. A single slip could mar the re-creation. As you can see, it calls for a preliminary mastery of Conrad's vocabulary, themes, plots, characters, mood, approach, and so on. All this goes in, and yet the book cannot be a slavish repeat. It must have something new to say, just as Conrad would have said it."
"And have you succeeded?"
"The critics have been generous, and my publisher gives me every encouragement."
"When you have finished your fifth re-creation of Lord Jim, what do you plan to do?"
"First I shall take a long rest. Then I shall re-create one of Conrad's minor works. The Planter of Malata, perhaps."
"I see. Is re-creation the rule in all the arts?"
"It is the goal of the true aspiring artist, no matter what medium he has chosen to work in. Art is a cruel mistress, I fear."