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A writer has to surprise himself to be worth reading.

Bernard Malamud

The whole history of baseball has the quality of mythology.
BERNARD MALAMUD

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

Reading Surprise Worth
You see in others who you are.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Identity Who You Are
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
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
We have in my country (Russia) a quotation: “It is impossible to make out of apology a fur coat.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Apology Country Russia
Children were strangers you loved because you could love. If they gave back love when they were grown you were ahead of the game.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Back Children Games Love
Life is a tragedy full of joy.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Follow Joy Life Your Heart
The past exudes legend: one can’t make pure clay of time’s mud.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Clay Experience Past
If your train’s on the wrong track every station you come to is the wrong station.
BERNARD MALAMUD

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

Illusion Joy Life Loss
First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about. Revision is working with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to re-form it….
BERNARD MALAMUD

Book Firsts Ideas
The wild begins where you least expect it, one step off your normal course
BERNARD MALAMUD

Course Normal Steps
Nationality isn’t soul.
BERNARD MALAMUD

Nation Nationality Soul

A writer has to surprise himself to be worth reading.

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A writer has to surprise himself to be worth reading.

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