Most writers tend to get worse rather than better. I'm determined to be one that gets better.
Edmund WhiteRead
Nobody in France would ever say 'He's a Jewish novelist' or 'She's a black novelist,' even though people do write about those subjects. It would look absurd to a French person to go into a bookstore and see a 'Gay Studies' section.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the different cultural perceptions of identity and how they relate to artistic expression in France.
Edmund White's quote highlights the French cultural approach to identity and literature, suggesting that categorizing writers by their racial, sexual, or religious identities is seen as absurd. In France, literature is appreciated more for its artistic merit than for the personal identities of the authors, indicating a desire for a more universal and less divisive understanding of art and creativity.
Themes
IdentityLiteratureCultureArtExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on cultural differences in literature appreciation.
More from Edmund White
All quotes →I've always seen writing as a way of telling the truth. For me, writing is about truth. I have always tried to be faithful to my own experience.
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In a memoir, your main contract with the reader is to tell the truth, no matter how bizarre.
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If bigots oppose gay marriage so vehemently, it must be because marriage is a defining institution for them; gays will never be fully accepted until they can marry and adopt, like anyone else.
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When we are young... we often experience things in the present with a nostalgia-in-advance, but we seldom guess what we will truly prize years from now.
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I was never an assimilationist. I always thought gays had some special mission.
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