When I'm working, I'm so narrowly focused on sound, language, rhythm, flow, that I rarely feel the emotion of the text. It's only after - long after - I've finished a piece that I can experience in any way its emotional charge.
Taiye SelasiRead
I write essays to clear my mind. I write fiction to open my heart.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing serves different purposes: clarity of thought and emotional expression.
This quote by Taiye Selasi highlights the dual nature of writing as both a mental exercise and an emotional outlet. While essays provide structured clarity that helps the writer organize their thoughts, fiction allows for a deeper exploration of feelings and creativity, opening the heart to new possibilities and connections.
Themes
WritingExpressionClarityCreativityEmotions
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, a participant shares this quote to emphasize the diverse functions of writing in personal growth.
More from Taiye Selasi
All quotes βI read recently that the problem with stereotypes isn't that they are inaccurate, but that they're incomplete. And this captures perfectly what I think about contemporary African literature. The problem isn't that it's inaccurate, it's that it's incomplete.
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