A really interesting essay (originally a speech) about Le Guin's experience writing her Earthsea books. More specifically, it's about how her understanding of fantasy changed in the long period between the third and fourth books - what she thought about gender and how it related to the hero's journey. This brings up questions of what a hero is (and isn't), and the importance of quest narratives in propping up the traditional notion of the hero, and the corresponding role of women in fantasy. Given that my favourite Earthsea books were the two that focused on Tenar - to be honest, Ged has always bored me a little bit - Le Guin's analysis and honesty about her own biases was a fantastic read. I haven't come across a lot of her non-fiction before this, and I'm excited to read more of it.