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And if at all possible, give order to; but one must not withdraw from the task if he has some small things to offer – he does so at the risk of diminishing his humanity.

Bernard Malamud

We’re persecuted in the most civilized languages.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Civilized Language Persecuted
A man has to construct, invent, his freedom.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Constructs Freedom Invent Men
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

Book Frivolous Leisure Matter
Prufrock had measured out his life with measuring spoons; Dubin, in books resurrecting the lives of others.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Book Inspire Life Resurrecting
You can’t eat language but it eases thirst.
BERNARD MALAMUD

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

Reading Surprise Worth
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
Writing is a mode of being. If I write I live.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Boring Live Mode Writing
We can’t all be friends and relatives as the world is; most of us have to be strangers.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Human Relations Stranger World
Nationality isn’t soul.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Nation Nationality Soul
I work with language. I love the flowers of afterthought.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Afterthought Flower Language
If the stories come, you get them written, you’re on the right track. Eventually everyone learns his or her own best way. The real mystery to crack is you.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Cracks Eventually Mystery Real Track
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
The short story packs a self in a few pages predicating a lifetime
BERNARD MALAMUD

Pages Self Stories
Some men are by nature explorers; my nature is to stay under the same moon and stars, and if the weather is wet, under the same roof. It’s a strange world, why make it stranger?
BERNARD MALAMUD

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

Change Ears World

And if at all possible, give order to; but one must not withdraw from the task if he has some small things to offer – he does so at the risk of diminishing his humanity.

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And if at all possible, give order to; but one must not withdraw from the task if he has some small things to offer – he does so at the risk of diminishing his humanity.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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