In apartments and cottages, on the street and in the train... I listen... More and more, I turn into one large ear, always turning to another person.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
I write my books at moments of shock. I meet people in extremis and their stories are highly emotionally charged.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the profound impact of intense emotional experiences on storytelling.
Svetlana Alexievich emphasizes that her writing is deeply influenced by moments of extreme emotions and circumstances. By engaging with people during times of crisis or significant life events, she gathers powerful narratives that reflect the human condition, illustrating how passion and turmoil can inspire art and literature.
Themes
WritingEmotionStoriesExperiencesArt
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, discussing how personal trauma can lead to powerful storytelling.
More from Svetlana Alexievich
All quotes βThe subjects I wanted to write about - the mystery of the human soul, evil - didn't interest newspapers, and news reporting bored me.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
'Women's' war has its own colors, its own smells, its own lighting, and its own range of feelings. There are no heroes and incredible feats; there are simply people who are busy doing inhumanly human things.
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There is no need to give in to the compromise that totalitarian regimes always count on.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
I've been searching for a genre that would be most adequate to my vision of the world to convey how my ear hears and my eyes see life. I tried this and that, and finally, I chose a genre where human voices speak for themselves. But I don't just record a dry history of events and facts; I'm writing a history of human feelings.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
From the point of view of art, the butcher and the victim are equal as people. You need to see the people.
Svetlana AlexievichRead
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