Write. No amount of self-inflicted misery, altered states, black pullovers or being publicly obnoxious will ever add up to your being a writer. Writers write. On you go.
A.L. KennedyRead
You can look at the words on this paper and, because they are the ones I am used to choosing, they will show you the shape of me. I am here to be read in the way you might read the impression of my weight in a bed after a still night, a restless night, a night not alone.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the idea that our expressions and choices reveal our true selves.
A.L. Kennedy's quote suggests that the words a person chooses serve as a representation of their identity and experiences. Just as the impression left on a bed indicates the presence and state of a person, the language we use carries the weight of our thoughts and emotions, offering insight into who we are and how we perceive the world.
In practice
In a poetry reading, this quote could highlight how personal experiences shape a writer's work.
Write. No amount of self-inflicted misery, altered states, black pullovers or being publicly obnoxious will ever add up to your being a writer. Writers write. On you go.
Remember you love writing. It wouldn’t be worth it if you didn’t. If the love fades, do what you need to and get it back.
Read. As much as you can. As deeply and widely and nourishingly and irritatingly as you can. And the good things will make you remember them, so you won't need to take notes.
Of this stamp is the cant of, Not men, but measures.
The most important problems we face are complex, and require sustained attention. But we don't speak in terms of nuance or complexity. Is that by accident? It's because our minds have been entrained to expect shorter and shorter bite-sized bits.
Unsung, the noblest deed will die.
You can’t repeat the past.” “Can’t repeat the past?” he cried incredulously. “Why of course you can!
Coincidence obeys no laws and if it does we don't know what they are. Coincidence, if you'll permit me the simile, is like the manifestation of God at every moment on our planet. A senseless God making senseless gestures at his senseless creatures. In that hurricane, in that osseous implosion, we find communion.
I'm Gentleman Death in silk and lace, come to put out the candles. The canker in the heart of the rose.
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