If certain books are to be termed 'immigrant fiction,' what do we call the rest? Native fiction? Puritan fiction? This distinction doesn't agree with me.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
If I stop to think about fans, or best-selling, or not best-selling, or good reviews, or not-good reviews, it just becomes too much. It's like staring at the mirror all day.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focusing too much on external validation can distract from the true purpose of one's work.
In this quote, Jhumpa Lahiri reflects on the overwhelming nature of constantly seeking approval and recognition from others. She uses the metaphor of staring into a mirror to illustrate how such fixation can lead to self-absorption, detracting from creativity and genuine expression. Instead, she suggests that an artist's focus should remain on their craft rather than on external accolades or opinions.
Themes
ValidationCreativitySelf-ReflectionArtFocus
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a webinar on creativity to encourage artists to stay true to their work.
More from Jhumpa Lahiri
All quotes →When I sit down to write, I don't think about writing about an idea or a given message. I just try to write a story which is hard enough.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
When I am experiencing a complex story or novel, the broader planes, and also details, tend to fall away.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
I think each time you start a story or novel or whatever, you are absolutely at the bottom of the ladder all over again. It doesn't matter what you've done before.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
The sky was different, without color, taut and unforgiving. But the water was the most unforgiving thing, nearly black at times, cold enough, I knew, to kill me, violent enough to break me apart. The waves were immense, battering rocky beaches without sand. The farther I went, the more desolate it became, more than any place I'd been, but for this very reason the landscape drew me, claimed me as nothing had in a long time.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
On the technical side, I hope that my writing is evolving and maturing, ripening, deepening.
Jhumpa LahiriRead
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