black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

The past exudes legend: one can’t make pure clay of time’s mud.

Bernard Malamud

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

Character Discipline Writing
You could not pity anything if you weren’t a man; pity was a surprise to God. It was not his invention.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Men Pity Surprise
When I don’t feel hurt, I hope they bury me.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Bury Feels Hope Hurt
Nationality isn’t soul.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Nation Nationality Soul
Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Boring Live Mode Writing
Those who write about life, reflect about life. you see in others who you are.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Who You Are Writing
The wild begins where you least expect it, one step off your normal course
BERNARD MALAMUD

Course Normal Steps
How one works, assuming he’s disciplined, doesn’t matter.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Assuming Discipline Matter Works
Overnight business could go down enough to hurt; yet as a rule it slowly recovered-sometimes it seemed to take forever-went up, not high enough to be really up, only not down.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Down Forever Hurt Obstacles Overnight
Comedy, I imagine, is harder to do consistently than tragedy, but I like it spiced in the wine of sadness.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Sadness Tragedy Wine
Space plus whatever you feel equals more whatever you feel, marvelous for happiness, God save you otherwise.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Happiness Plus Space
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 Giving Order
You can’t eat language but it eases thirst.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Ease Language Thirst
I fix what’s broken – except in the heart.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Broken Expect Heart
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

People Stories Style
Where to look if you’ve lost your mind?
BERNARD MALAMUD

Looks Lost Mind
First drafts are for learning what your story is about.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Draft Firsts Learn Stories
If you ever forget you are a Jew a goy will remind you.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Few Forget Jokes Remind
No use fanning up hot coals when you have to walk across them.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Across Anger Coal Hot
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 Loneliness Lonely Matter Men 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.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Men Tattoo Walk Wall Window
The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Freedom Others Purpose
I work with language. I love the flowers of afterthought.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Afterthought Flower Language
The past exudes legend: one can’t make pure clay of time’s mud. There is no life that can be recaptured wholly; as it was.Which is to say that all biography is ultimately fiction.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Clay Past Recapture Time
The idea is to get the pencil moving quickly.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Ideas Moving Writing
Without heroes, we are all plain people and don’t know how far we can go.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Courage Inspirational Inspiring
Teach yourself to work in uncertainty.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Teaching Uncertainty Writing

The past exudes legend: one can’t make pure clay of time’s mud.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

The past exudes legend: one can’t make pure clay of time’s mud.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Bernard Malamud Quotes