Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing.

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

To any writer: Teach yourself to work in uncertainty. Many writers are anxious when they begin, or try something new.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Charity you can give even when you haven’t got.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Havens

What suffering has taught me is the uselessness of suffering.

BERNARD MALAMUD

What suffering has taught me is the uselessness of suffering.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Taught Uselessness

I don’t think you can do anything for anyone without giving up something of your own.

BERNARD MALAMUD

I don’t think you can do anything for anyone without giving up something of your own.

BERNARD MALAMUD

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

Firsts

You write by sitting down and writing. There’s no particular time or place—you suit yourself, your nature.

BERNARD MALAMUD

You write by sitting down and writing. There’s no particular time or place—you suit yourself, your nature.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Down Sitting

The whole history of baseball has the quality of mythology.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Baseball Mythology

All my life I wanted to accomplish something worthwhile-a thing people will say took a little something.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Littles

Comedy, I imagine, is harder to do consistently than tragedy, but I like it spiced in the wine of sadness.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Comedy, I imagine, is harder to do consistently than tragedy, but I like it spiced in the wine of sadness.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Sadness

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

Frivolous Leisure

One’s fantasy goes for a walk and returns with a bride.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Funn Return

Ithink Isaid’All menare Jews excepttheydon’t know it.’I doubt I expected anyone to take the statement literally. But I think it’s an understandable statement and a metaphoric way of indicating how history, sooner or later, treats all men.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Doubt Metaphoric Statement

A man is an island in the only sense that matters, not an easy way to be. We live in mystery, a cosmos of separate lonely bodies, men, insects, stars. It is all loneliness and men know it best.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Insects

The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.

BERNARD MALAMUD

The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Others