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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

A writer has to surprise himself to be worth reading.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Reading Surprise Worth
No use fanning up hot coals when you have to walk across them.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Across Anger Coal Hot
The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Freedom Others Purpose
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 Men Metaphoric Statement Thinking
There is in the darkness a unity, if you will, that cannot be achieved in any other environment, a blending of self with what the self perceives, and exquisite mystical experience.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Dark Experiences Mystical Self
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 Book Imperfect Uncertain Until
You see in others who you are.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Identity Who You Are
The short story packs a self in a few pages predicating a lifetime
BERNARD MALAMUD

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

Illusion Joy Life Loss
We’re persecuted in the most civilized languages.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Civilized Language Persecuted
There are no wrong books. What’s wrong is the fear of them.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Book Fixers Wrong
A man had to learn, it was his nature.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Learning Men Nature
What suffering has taught me is the uselessness of suffering.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Suffering Taught Uselessness
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
Life is a tragedy full of joy.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Follow Joy Life Your Heart

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.

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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.

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Popular Authors

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