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I used to enjoy using dots where they would be least expected, not at the end of a sentence but in the middle, creating the effect... of a skipped beat. It seemed to me the mind reacted - first!... in dots, dashes, and exclamation points, then rationalized, drew up a brief, with periods.
Tom Wolfe
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects on the uniqueness of artistic expression and how unexpected elements can provoke thought and emotion.

Tom Wolfe's quote explores the idea that unconventional punctuation, like dots in unexpected places, can alter the flow of thought and create emotional pauses in writing. It suggests that the mind processes these artistic choices in a dynamic way, moving from instinctive reactions to structured reasoning, showcasing how creativity can manipulate perception and understanding.

Themes

ArtCreativityExpressionPunctuationEmotion

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a lecture about the importance of creativity in writing.

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I have discovered that for me - now, maybe it doesn't work for everybody - for me, it is much more effective to arrive at any situation as a man from Mars than to try to fit in.
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There has been a time on earth when poets had been young and dead and famous - and were men. But now the poet as the tragic child of grandeur and destiny had changed. The child of genius was a woman, now, and the man was gone.
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