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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

Related Topics

Insects

I am somewhat of a meliorist. That is to say, I act as an optimist because I find I cannot act at all, as a pessimist.

BERNARD MALAMUD

I am somewhat of a meliorist. That is to say, I act as an optimist because I find I cannot act at all, as a pessimist.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Confusion Order
For misery don’t blame God. He gives the food but we cook it.
BERNARD MALAMUD
Space plus whatever you feel equals more whatever you feel, marvelous for happiness, God save you otherwise.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Plus
The first draft of a book is the most uncertain-where you need guts, the ability to accept the imperfect until it is better.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Accept Imperfect Until
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
Completed, most lives were alike in stages of living-joys, celebrations, crises, illusions, losses, sorrows.

BERNARD MALAMUD

Completed, most lives were alike in stages of living-joys, celebrations, crises, illusions, losses, sorrows.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Illusion
Writers who can’t invent stories often substitute style for narrative. They remind me of the painter who couldn’t paint people, so he painted chairs.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Stories
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
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
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

Reform Revision
If you ever forget you are a Jew a goy will remind you.

BERNARD MALAMUD

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

Few Jokes
You see in others who you are.

BERNARD MALAMUD

You see in others who you are.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Who You Are
Bernard Malamud
BERNARD MALAMUD

Apparteally Confusion Uncontrolled
The idea is to get the pencil moving quickly.
BERNARD MALAMUD

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

Littles
Tomorrow the world is not the same as today, though God listens with the same ear.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Ears