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There comes a time in a man’s life when to get where he has to go – if there are no doors or windows he walks through a wall.

Bernard Malamud

One often feels helpless in the face of the confusion of these times, such a mass of apparently uncontrollable events and experiences to live through, attempt to understand.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Apparteally Attempt Confusion Experience Time Uncontrolled
A man has to construct, invent, his freedom.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Constructs Freedom Invent Men
Reader, I am myself the subject of my book; you would be unreasonable to spend your leisure on so frivolous and so vain a matter.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Book Frivolous Leisure Matter
Space plus whatever you feel equals more whatever you feel, marvelous for happiness, God save you otherwise.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Happiness Plus Space
If you ever forget you are a Jew a goy will remind you.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Few Forget Jokes Remind
Nationality isn’t soul.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Nation Nationality Soul
First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about. Revision is working with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to re-form it….
BERNARD MALAMUD

Book Firsts Ideas
Of course it would cost something, but he was an expert in cutting corners; and when there were no more corners left he would make circles rounder.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Circles Cutting Experts
The wild begins where you least expect it, one step off your normal course
BERNARD MALAMUD

Course Normal Steps
The short story packs a self in a few pages predicating a lifetime
BERNARD MALAMUD

Pages Self Stories
We have in my country (Russia) a quotation: “It is impossible to make out of apology a fur coat.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Apology Country Russia
As long as a man stays alive he can’t tell what chances will pop up next. But a dead man signs no checks.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Long Men Perseverance
Politics isn’t in my nature.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Nature Politics Work
For misery don’t blame God. He gives the food but we cook it.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Blame Giving Misery
Somewhere I put it this way: first drafts are for learning what one’s fiction wants him to say. Revision works with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to reform it. Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Ideas Reform Revision Work Writing
Some men are by nature explorers; my nature is to stay under the same moon and stars, and if the weather is wet, under the same roof. It’s a strange world, why make it stranger?
BERNARD MALAMUD

Adventure Moon Stars

There comes a time in a man’s life when to get where he has to go – if there are no doors or windows he walks through a wall.

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There comes a time in a man’s life when to get where he has to go – if there are no doors or windows he walks through a wall.

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Popular Authors

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