Life with most teenagers was like having a low-grade bladder infection. It hurts, but you had to tough it out.
Seeing yourself in print is such an amazing concept: you can get so much attention without having to actually show up somewhere... You don't have to dress up, for instance, and you can't hear them boo you right away.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the unique power of writing and self-expression, allowing one to connect with others without physical presence.
Anne Lamott's quote underscores the transformative impact of being published or having one's thoughts in print. It illustrates the concept that through writing, individuals can achieve recognition and influence without the pressure of real-time social interactions, such as presenting oneself in person where immediate reactions can be daunting. This speaks to the liberating aspects of artistic expression and the role of written words in reaching an audience.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the power of storytelling, one might cite this quote to emphasize how writing allows us to be heard without direct confrontation.
More from Anne Lamott
All quotes →Or you might shout at the top of your lungs or whisper into your sleeve, "I hate you, God." That is a prayer too, because it is real, it is truth, and maybe it is the first sincere thought you've had in months.
Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.
It is hard to remember that you are a cherished spiritual being when you're burping up apple fritters and Cheetos.
Gorgeous, amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandnieces, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, "Well, that's pretty much what I thought I'd see," you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself why you are even here. [...] Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.
...because when people have seen you at their worst, you don't have to put on the mask as much.
Similar quotes
Perhaps I abandoned criticism because I am full of contradictions, and when you write an essay, you are not supposed to contradict yourself. But in the theater, by inventing various characters, you can. My characters are contradictory not only in their language but in their behavior as well.
To get even realer with you for a second, as a black actor, as a performer of color, I don't know how many more roles like Aaron Burr are gonna come along for me.
If a story doesn't give you a hard-on in the first couple of scenes, throw it in the goddamned garbage.
A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting.
I don't like records that are the same from beginning to end, that are too styled and slick. Everything is so designed and airbrushed and Botoxed, it makes us think, 'Oh, everybody's perfect except me. Everything's smooth except me.' But nothing is smooth.
Movies, they take years of my life, so I'm fortunate that I get to work in a lot of different mediums.