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The true poet has no choice of material. The material plainly chooses him, not he it.

J. D. Salinger

Do you know what I was smiling at? You wrote down that you were a writer by profession. It sounded to me like the loveliest euphemism I had ever heard. When was writing ever your profession? It’s never been anything but your religion.
J. D. SALINGER

Love Myself Religion Smile Writing
But it wasn’t just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest, in lots of ways. He never got mad at anybody. People with red hair are supposed to get mad very easily, but Allie never did, and he had very red hair.
J. D. SALINGER

Easy Family Hairs Himself Mad People
We don’t talk, we hold forth. We don’t converse, we expound.
J. D. SALINGER

Talk
It’s not too bad when the sun’s out, but the sun only comes out when it feels like coming out.
J. D. SALINGER

Bad Feeling Sun
You’re lucky if you get time to sneeze in this goddam phenomenal world.
J. D. SALINGER

Time World Yourself
Nobody who’s really using his ego, his real ego, has any time for any goddam hobbies.
J. D. SALINGER

Attitude Himself Reality
Grand. There’s a word I really hate. It’s a phony. I could puke every time I hear it.
J. D. SALINGER

Hate Myself Phone Time Word
I don’t exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it.
J. D. SALINGER

Myself Word
I have scars on my hands from touching certain people.
J. D. SALINGER

Hands Myself People Scars Touch
An artist’s only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else’s.
J. D. SALINGER

Art Kind Perfection
Know your true measurements and dress your mind accordingly.
J. D. SALINGER

Mindset True
Why’s it so sunny? she repeated. Zooey observed her rather narrowly. I bring the sun wherever I go, buddy, he said.
J. D. SALINGER

Herself Sun
You don’t have to think too hard when you talk to teachers.
J. D. SALINGER

Talk Teaching Thinking Yourself
I was sixteen then, and I’m seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I’m about thirteen. Sometimes, I act a lot older than I am–I really do. But people never notice it. People never notice anything.
J. D. SALINGER

Age Myself People
Poets are always taking the weather so personally. They’re always sticking their emotions in things that have no emotions.
J. D. SALINGER

Emotion Poet
I could happily lie down and die sometimes.
J. D. SALINGER

Death Happiness Lie Myself

The true poet has no choice of material. The material plainly chooses him, not he it.

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The true poet has no choice of material. The material plainly chooses him, not he it.

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Popular Authors

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