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

J. D. Salinger

Did you ever get fed up?’ I said. ‘I mean did you ever get scared that everything was going to go lousy unless you did something?
J. D. SALINGER

Action Fear Yourself
I’m sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect.
J. D. SALINGER

God Myself Respect Sick
You think of the book you’d most like to be reading, and then you sit down and shamelessly write it.
J. D. SALINGER

Book Reading Shame Thinking Writing Yourself
People always clap for the wrong reasons.
J. D. SALINGER

People Reason Wrong
The worst thing that being an artist could do to you would be that it would make you slightly unhappy constantly.
J. D. SALINGER

Art Happiness Worst
Listen, if you’re not going to be a nun or something, you might as well laugh.
J. D. SALINGER

Job Laugh Listen
I could happily lie down and die sometimes.
J. D. SALINGER

Death Happiness Lie Myself
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
Make sure you marry someone who laughs at the same things you do.
J. D. SALINGER

Laugh Marriage Yourself
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
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
If you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It’s a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn’t education. It’s history. It’s poetry.
J. D. SALINGER

Beautiful History Learning Poetry Yourself
I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it. I’m crazy. I swear to God I am.
J. D. SALINGER

Crazy God Herself Lie Love Myself
I have scars on my hands from touching certain people…Certain heads, certain colours and textures of human hair leave permanent marks on me.
J. D. SALINGER

Hands Human Myself Scars Touch
You’re lucky if you get time to sneeze in this goddam phenomenal world.
J. D. SALINGER

Time World Yourself
I just hope that one day – preferably when we’re both blind drunk – we can talk about it.
J. D. SALINGER

Drink Hope Myself Talk

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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