Basically, it's hard for me to assess myself, a hardship not only prompted by the immodesty of the enterprise, but because one is not capable of assessing himself, let alone his work. However, if I were to summarize, my main interest is the nature of time. That's what interests me most of all. What time can do to a man.
Bookstores should be located not only on campuses or on main drags, but at the assembly plant's gates, also.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Bookstores are essential spaces for learning and should be accessible in various locations, including workplaces.
Joseph Brodsky highlights the importance of making books and literature readily available to people in all walks of life, not just in traditional settings like universities or busy streets. By suggesting that bookstores should be placed at assembly plants, he emphasizes the idea that access to literature and knowledge should extend into the everyday lives of workers, promoting continuous education and intellectual growth in all environments.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community development, one might use this quote to emphasize the importance of local bookstores in providing access to education.
More from Joseph Brodsky
All quotes βOne always pulls the trigger out of self-interest and quotes history to avoid responsibility or pangs of conscience.
On the whole, infinity is a fairly palpable aspect of this business of publishing, if only because it extends a dead author's existence beyond the limits he envisioned, or provides a living author with a future he cannot measure. In other words, this business deals with the future which we all prefer to regard as unending.
The invention of ethical and political doctrines, which blossomed into our own social sciences, is a product of times when things appeared manageable. The same goes for the criticism of those doctrines, though as a voice from the past, this criticism proved prophetic.
Try not to pay attention to those who will try to make life miserable for you. There will be a lot of those - in the official capacity as well as the self-appointed.
To put it in plain language, Russia is that country where the name of a writer appears not on the cover of his book, but on the door of his prison cell.
Similar quotes
I desire to assist in attracting to this profession young men of character and ability, also to help those already engaged in the profession to acquire the highest moral and intellectual training
A teacher who cannot explain any abstract subject to a child does not himself thoroughly understand his subject; if he does not attempt to break down his knowledge to fit the child's mind, he does not understand teaching.
Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture.
It's important for Asian American kids to see themselves in stories and to feel seen. They need to know that their stories are universal, too, that they, too, can fall in love in a teen movie. They don't have to be the sidekick; they can be the hero.
Most people involved in the delivery of history, in universities, publishing, museums and the heritage industry, are aware that we have a problem with diversity and inclusivity.
No one can say just how long a message should be, but you rarely hear complaints about a speech being too short. The amateur worries about what he is going to put in his speech or article. The expert worries about what he should take out.