We're always attracted to the edges of what we are, out by the edges where it's a little raw and nervy.
Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that writing allows individuals to express multiple identities and perspectives, resembling schizophrenia in its complexity.
E. L. Doctorow's quote highlights the intricate and multifaceted nature of writing, portraying it as a unique medium through which authors can channel various characters, thoughts, and emotions. This creative process resembles schizophrenia, as writers navigate different personas and realities, reflecting the diverse aspects of human experience. It emphasizes the complexity of the writer's mind and the art of storytelling as a means of exploring the human condition.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary discussion about the complexities of character development, I might reference Doctorow's quote to illustrate the duality of a writer's perspective.
More from E. L. Doctorow
All quotes βOne of the things I had to learn as a writer was to trust the act of writing. To put myself in the position of writing to find out what I was writing.
In fiction, you know, there are no borders. You can go anywhere.
Books are acts of composition: you compose them. You make music: the music is called fiction.
We are all good friends. Friendship is what endures. Shared ideals, respect for the whole character of a human being.
I've known several cases of writers who decide to write about something and they research the hell out of it and when they're ready to write, they can't move because they are so burdened. I start writing. Whatever I need somehow comes to hand.
Similar quotes
People say to me, 'You seem to have made this conscious decision to do independent films'. In reality, I haven't. After each movie, I always think, 'how different can I possibly be? Is this going to challenge me, is this going to inspire me, and is this going to make me love my job more than I already do?'
It is not theatre that is indispensable, but something quite different. To cross the frontiers between you and me.
I have a real interest in pushing some of the limits of things that studios don't want to make.
I maintain that anyone who still refuses to see, for instance, a horse galloping on a tomato, must be an idiot. A tomato is also a child's balloon - Surrealism, again, having suppressed the word "like."
Beauty is a fruit which we look at without trying to seize it.
Was it confusing because it was artistic, or artistic because it was confusing?