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The primary thing I should do, apart from being a good husband, brother, son, and friend, is to be a citizen activist. But I'm afraid it takes away from the writing. Not that anything depends on whether I put an essay in 'The Nation' or not. But you want to participate.
Tony Kushner
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Participating in civic activism is essential, even amid personal commitments.

In this quote, Tony Kushner expresses the internal conflict between personal responsibilities and the desire to engage actively in societal issues. He acknowledges the importance of being a good family member and friend but reinforces that civic engagement is also a crucial responsibility, showing a commitment to contributing meaningfully to society despite potential distractions.

Themes

ActivismCitizenshipParticipationResponsibilityWriting

In practice

Example use cases

During a community meeting, I shared this quote to encourage others to take action.

More from Tony Kushner

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.'
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Artists 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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