A handful of works in history have had a direct impact on social policy: one or two works of Dickens, some of Zola, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and, in modern drama, Larry Kramer's 'The Normal Heart.'
Tony KushnerRead
I had a dream, in 1985, I believe, when a friend I'd gone to school with was sick - one of the first people I knew who'd gotten the AIDS virus. I had a dream of him in his bedroom with an angel crashing through the ceiling. I wrote a poem called 'Angels in America.' I've never looked at the poem since the day I wrote it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the inspiration behind a profound artistic creation born from personal experience and emotional impact.
Tony Kushner shares a moment of deep personal significance that led to his creation of 'Angels in America,' illustrating how life events and the suffering of a friend influenced his artistic vision. This quote captures the essence of how art can emerge from our connections with others and the experiences that move us deeply.
Themes
DreamArtPoetryAidsFriendship
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at an arts conference, one could quote this to illustrate the power of personal experience in creativity.
More from Tony Kushner
All quotes →Artists know that diligence counts as much, if not more, as inspiration; in art, as in politics, patience counts as much as revolution.
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I don't understand why I'm not dead. When your heart breaks, you should die
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In this world, there is a kind of painful progress. Longing for what we've left behind, and dreaming ahead.
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The way that same-sex marriage should reach the federal level is that it absolutely should be decided by the Supreme Court as quickly as possible. It's a 14th Amendment issue. There's no argument about it.
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Gay TV has been immensely important in transforming American culture in a more gay-positive direction.
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