A handful of works in history have had a direct impact on social policy: one or two works of Dickens, some of Zola, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and, in modern drama, Larry Kramer's 'The Normal Heart.'
Tony KushnerRead
I'm fairly certain when I die that the obituary will say, 'Author of 'Angels in America' dies.' Unless I'm completely forgotten, and then it won't say anything at all.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects an awareness of one's legacy and how people are remembered after death.
Tony Kushner's quote highlights the transient nature of life and the memories we leave behind. It touches on the importance of recognition for oneβs work and the fear of being forgotten, suggesting that while some may be remembered for their contributions, others may fade into obscurity, leaving behind little or no legacy.
Themes
LegacyMemoryRecognitionDeathArt
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at a literary festival, reflecting on how art influences society.
More from Tony Kushner
All quotes βArtists know that diligence counts as much, if not more, as inspiration; in art, as in politics, patience counts as much as revolution.
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I don't understand why I'm not dead. When your heart breaks, you should die
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In this world, there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what we've left behind, and dreaming ahead.
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The way that same-sex marriage should reach the federal level is that it absolutely should be decided by the Supreme Court as quickly as possible. It's a 14th Amendment issue. There's no argument about it.
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Gay TV has been immensely important in transforming American culture in a more gay-positive direction.
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It feels like a game, this work I do. It is totally heartfelt, and I love the sticky terrain, the straight-up cartoons, how the irrepressible and icky rise to the surface. But I am not just trying to call forth bugaboos and demons for the sake of it, for fun.
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Whoever has the luck to be born a character can laugh even at death. Because a character will never die! A man will die, a writer, the instrument of creation: but what he has created will never die!
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If only someone else could paint what I see, it would be marvellous, because then I wouldnt have to paint at all.
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I carry my thoughts about me for a long time, often a very long time, before I write them down; meanwhile my memory is so faithful that I am sure never to forget, not even in years, a theme that has once occurred to me.
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