Every island to a child is a treasure island.
P. D. JamesRead
Open your mind to new experiences, particularly to the study of other people. Nothing that happens to a writer – however happy, however tragic – is ever wasted.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Embrace diverse experiences and learn from them, as all events contribute to a writer's growth.
P. D. James emphasizes the importance of openness to new experiences and perspectives, especially in the context of writing. She suggests that every experience, whether joyous or sorrowful, contributes to a writer's understanding and creativity, implying that nothing is ever truly wasted if one is willing to learn from it.
Themes
ExperiencesWritingGrowthLearningPerspectives
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, I shared a quote by P. D. James to encourage participants to find value in all experiences.
More from P. D. James
All quotes →If from infancy you treat children as gods, they are liable in adulthood to act as devils.
P. D. JamesRead
I believe that political correctness can be a form of linguistic fascism, and it sends shivers down the spine of my generation who went to war against fascism.
P. D. JamesRead
What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give.
P. D. JamesRead
It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.
P. D. JamesRead
The weekend break had begun with the usual resentment and had continued with half-repressed ill humour. It was, of course, his fault. He had been more ready to hurt his wife's feelings and deprive his daughter than inconvenience a pub bar full of strangers. He wished there could be one memory of his dead child which wasn't tainted with guilt and regret.
P. D. JamesRead
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if you don't have doubts you're either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants-in-the-pants of faith. They keep it alive and moving.
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The wisdom of others remains dull till it is writ over with our own blood. We are essentially apart from the world; it bursts into our consciousness only when it sinks its teeth and nails into us.
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