Married couples who quarrel bitterly every day may really need each other as deeply as those who appear to be desperately in love.
I am happy to be a regional writer. My region is the American West, old Mexico, West Virginia, New York, Europe, Australia, the human heart, and the male groin.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses pride in being a writer whose experiences and influences span diverse geographical and emotional landscapes.
Edward Abbey's quote highlights the breadth of his artistic inspiration as a writer. He embraces the variety and richness of his experiences across different regions and cultures, suggesting that true artistry comes from a deep connection to both the physical world and the complex emotions of humanity. The mention of specific places and even the 'human heart' and 'male groin' indicates how personal and universal elements intertwine in his work, emphasizing that every landscape can offer profound stories and insights.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a creative writing workshop, this quote could inspire participants to explore their own unique backgrounds and influences.
More from Edward Abbey
All quotes βI love America because it is a confused, chaotic mess - and I hope we can keep it this way for at least another thousand years. The permissive society is the free society.
If it's knowledge and wisdom you want, then seek out the company of those who do real work for an honest purpose.
The earth is real. Only a fool, milking his cow, denies the cow's reality.
I believe in nothing that I cannot touch, kiss, embrace.... The rest is only hearsay.
Why can't we simply borrow what is useful to us from Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, especially Zen, as we borrow from Christianity, science, American Indian traditions and world literature in general, including philosophy, and let the rest go hang? Borrow what we need but rely principally upon our own senses, common sense and daily living experience.
Similar quotes
I am a better novelist than a poet, playwright, or essayist.
Everybody was wearing rhinestones, all those sparkly clothes, and cowboy boots. I decided to wear a black shirt and pants and see if I could get by with it. I did and I've worn black clothes ever since.
It is not the right angle that attracts me, nor the straight line, hard and inflexible, created by man. What attracts me is the free and sensual curve - the curve that I find in the mountains of my country, in the sinuous course of its rivers, in the body of the beloved woman.
What a beautiful testament to the creative spirit and its true motives, to creative contribution coming from a place of purpose rather than a hunger for profit.
I can fairly be called an amateur because I do what I do, in the original sense of the word - for love, because I love it. On the other hand, I think that those of us who make our living writing history can also be called true professionals.
When you're traveling constantly, every day you become inspired, and it shows in my work, sonically, lyrically, visually. Conversations with women with different accents and stories told in those accents. I like to create characters based on different people I've met, and relationships. I like to tell stories loosely based on real-life events.