In the current socio-political climate, he said to himself, committing suicide is absurd and redundant. Better to become an undercover poet.
Interpretation
The quote suggests that in challenging times, one should seek alternative forms of expression rather than resorting to despair.
In this quote, Roberto Bolano highlights the absurdity of choosing a drastic end in the face of difficult socio-political circumstances. Instead of succumbing to hopelessness, he advocates for embracing creativity, such as poetry, as a way to navigate and respond to the turmoil of the world. This perspective reflects a resilient and constructive approach to adversity, emphasizing the power of artistic expression as a means of survival and comment on society.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of art during crises.
Coincidence obeys no laws and if it does we don't know what they are. Coincidence, if you'll permit me the simile, is like the manifestation of God at every moment on our planet. A senseless God making senseless gestures at his senseless creatures. In that hurricane, in that osseous implosion, we find communion.
The sky, at sunset, looked like a carnivorous flower.
I'd obviously never heard of the group, but my ignorance in literary matters is to blame for that (every book in the world is out there waiting to be read by me).
Every book in the world is out there waiting to be read by me.
Bright colours in the west, giant butterflies dancing as night crept like a cripple toward the east.
Being alone makes us stronger. That’s the honest truth. But it’s cold comfort, since even if I wanted company no one will come near me anymore.
Bras are a ludicrous invention; but if you make bralessness a rule, you're just subjecting yourself to yet another repression.
and for a moment he held out his hands as if to steady himself or as if to bless the ground there or perhaps as if to slow the world that was rushing away and seemed to care nothing for the old or the young or rich or poor or dark or pale or he or she. Nothing for their struggles, nothing for their names. Nothing for the living or the dead.
Belief Systems contradict both science and ordinary "common sense." B.S. contradicts science, because it claims certitude and science can never achieve certitude: it can only say, "This model"- or theory, or interpretation of the data- "fits more of the facts known at this date than any rival model." We can never know if the model will fit the facts that might come to light in the next millennium or even in the next week.
Once you change your philosophy, you change your thought pattern. Once you change your thought pattern, you change your attitude. Once you change your attitude, it changes your behavior pattern and then you go on into some action. As long as you gotta sit-down philosophy, you’ll have a sit-down thought pattern, and as long as you think that old sit-down thought you’ll be in some kind of sit-down action.
Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine.
I think that certainty is a closed door, It's the end of the conversation. Doubt is an open door.
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