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It is essential to naturalist doctrine that literature, to be good, must, finally, be the author’s experience worked out literally.

Gore Vidal

In the writing of novels, there is the problem of how to shape a narrative.
GORE VIDAL

Novel Problem Shape Writing
It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.
GORE VIDAL

Enough Failure Success
As for civil liberties, any one who is not vigilant may one day find himself living, if not in a police state, at least in a police city.
GORE VIDAL

Civil Finding Liberty Live Police
The American high school graduate is two years behind his English, French or German counterpart; in Alabama, God knows how far behind.
GORE VIDAL

God Graduation Known Yourself
Ayn Rand is a rhetorician who writes novels I have never been able to read.
GORE VIDAL

Myself Novel Reading Writing
On September 5, 1774, forty-five of the weightiest colonial men formed the First Continental Congress at Philadelphia.
GORE VIDAL

Congress Form Man Weight
What the police in their ignorance have not figured out is that they have lost all credibility since World War II. They are sort of parasites on the fringe of society and do no particular good for anyone except possibly themselves.
GORE VIDAL

Credible Exception Ignorance Possible Society
All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting to encounter yourself.
GORE VIDAL

Children Expectation Forever
While campaigning, I got to know many high-school teachers, and let me say that the good ones are the unsung heroes of our society, and the bad ones are the gravediggers.
GORE VIDAL

Goodness Known Ourselves Society
The four most beautiful words in our common language: I told you so.
GORE VIDAL

Beautiful Language Ourselves Word
Policemen are seldom tried for their crimes, or indeed, held responsible for what they do, which disturbs the peace and causes distress among the orderly.
GORE VIDAL

Crime Disturb Order Peace Police Responsibility
Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by definition, be disqualified from ever doing so.
GORE VIDAL

Definition Preparation President
The behaviour of President Bush on 11 September certainly gives rise to not unnatural suspicions.
GORE VIDAL

Natural President Rise Suspicion
The more money an American accumulates, the less interesting he becomes.
GORE VIDAL

Himself Interesting Money
I am only at home in the present.
GORE VIDAL

Home Oneself Present
We’re not a democracy.
GORE VIDAL

Democracy One Liner

It is essential to naturalist doctrine that literature, to be good, must, finally, be the author’s experience worked out literally.

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It is essential to naturalist doctrine that literature, to be good, must, finally, be the author’s experience worked out literally.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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