Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
John SteinbeckRead
The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Steinbeck humorously compares the instability of writing to the gambling nature of horse racing.
In this quote, John Steinbeck reflects on the unpredictability and challenges of the writing profession, suggesting that while horse racing is often viewed as uncertain and risky, the world of book writing can be even more tumultuous and uncertain. This comparison highlights the struggles authors face in achieving success and recognition, often compared to the high stakes and chances involved in gambling.
Themes
WritingInstabilityHumorLiteratureProfession
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech to aspiring authors, one might say this quote to illustrate the unpredictable nature of a writing career.
More from John Steinbeck
All quotes βAt one point, as Samuel urges Adam to raise his boys well regardless of the blood that might be in them, Adam tells him, "You can't make a race horse of a pig." Samuel replies, "No, but you can make a very fast pig.
John SteinbeckRead
And when that crop grew, and was harvested, no man had crumbled a hot clod in his fingers and let the earth sift past his fingertips. No man had touched the seed, or lusted for the growth. Men ate what they had not raised, had no connection with the bread. The land bore under iron, and under iron gradually died; for it was not loved or hated, it had no prayers or curses.
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The comfortable people in tight houses felt pity at first, and then distaste, and finally hatred for the migrant people.
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People do not want advice - they want corroboration.
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It is one of the triumphs of the human that he can know a thing and still not believe it.
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