It is by all odds the loftiest of cities. It even managed to reach the highest point in the sky at the lowest moment of the depression.
E. B. WhiteRead
A man who publishes his letters becomes a nudist - nothing shields him from the world's gaze except his bare skin. A writer, writing away, can always fix things up to make himself more presentable, but a man who has written a letter is stuck with it for all time.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the vulnerability of sharing one's thoughts through writing, particularly letters.
E. B. White's quote reflects on the exposure and vulnerability that comes with publishing personal correspondence. Unlike a writer who can revise and edit their work, once a letter is sent, its content is permanent and open to scrutiny, much like a nudist who has no barrier to conceal themselves. This analogy underscores the courage required to express oneself authentically in writing, revealing both the intimacy and risk involved in such communication.
Themes
WritingVulnerabilityLettersExpressionCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, I shared a quote by E. B. White to illustrate the importance of honesty in our writings.
More from E. B. White
All quotes →It isn't silence you can cut with a knife any more, it's interchange of ideas. Intelligent discussion of practically everything is what is breaking up modern marriage.
E. B. WhiteRead
The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. Because I have the greatest respect for the reader, and if he's going to the trouble of reading what I've written -- I'm a slow reader myself and I guess most people are -- why, the least I can do is make it as easy as possible for him to find out what I'm trying to say, trying to get at. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.
E. B. WhiteRead
A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus.
E. B. WhiteRead
A despot doesn't fear eloquent writers preaching freedom- he fears a drunken poet who may crack a joke that will take hold.
E. B. WhiteRead
All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation-it is the Self-escaping into the open.
E. B. WhiteRead
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