When I'm dying, I want to think I did what I felt was best for the words I was writing. This may mean, at any time, that I won't be publishable anymore.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's artistic vision, even at the cost of popularity or commercial success.
William T. Vollmann's quote reflects a deep commitment to the integrity of one's creative work. He expresses a desire to remain faithful to his own beliefs and instincts while writing, suggesting that the value of art lies not in its marketability but in its authenticity. This perspective champions the idea that an artist should prioritize their personal truth over societal expectations or commercial pressures, even if it leads to being unpublishable at times.
In practice
In a writing workshop discussing the importance of authenticity in storytelling.
There have been times when I'm writing about things that are personally embarrassing. Like any human being, sometimes I can't help but wonder - 'What are the people I know going to think about this?' So I have to remind myself that all is permissible. Art has to be a free space. Language has to be a free space.
Everybody is an expert on one thing - that's what I learned in my high school journalism class - and that's, of course, his own life. And everybody deserves to live and have his story told. And if it doesn't seem like an interesting story, then that's the failure of the listener, or the journalist who retells it badly.
But failure has to be an option in art and in exploration - because it's a leap of faith. And no important endeavor that required innovation was done without risk. You have to be willing to take those risks.
I grew as an actor just by watching Kamal Haasan acting. I had the good fortune of being able to observe Kamal Haasan from close quarters.
If you want to be a good blues singer, people are going to be down on you, so dress like you're going to the bank to borrow money.
When people ask me if I am a feminist film maker, I reply I am a woman and I also make films.
I always like the studio best, once I got the hang of it and the control. I like it because it's complete control
And I want to rise up, throw my arms open for a vast embrace, address an ample, luminous discourse to the invisible crowds. I would start like this: "O rainbow-colored gods. . .
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