Artists know that diligence counts as much, if not more, as inspiration; in art, as in politics, patience counts as much as revolution.
Tony KushnerRead
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.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
Certain literary works have profoundly shaped societal views and policies.
In this quote, Tony Kushner emphasizes the significant role that literature and drama can play in influencing social policies and perceptions. He cites notable works and authors whose writings have sparked critical conversations and changes regarding social issues, illustrating the power of storytelling in effecting real-world change.
Themes
LiteratureSocial ImpactPolicyArtInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for change, one might use this quote to illustrate how literature can shape society.
More from Tony Kushner
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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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The theater requires an essential gullibility that you can't get through life without having. If all you can feel is skepticism-well , you meet people like this. Run away from them. They're not good people.
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More varied than any landscape was the landscape in the sky, with islands of gold and silver, peninsulas of apricot and rose against a background of many shades of turquoise and azure.
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The great tragedy is that they're removing art completely, not because they're putting more science in, but because they can't afford the art teachers or because somebody thinks it's not useful. An enlightened society has all of this going on within it. It's part of what distinguishes what it is to be human from other life forms on Earth - that we have culture.
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