QuoteProject
One truth is the swing of the sentence, the beat and poise, but down deeper it's the integrity of the writer as he matches with the language.
Don Delillo
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The essence of writing lies in the balance of language and the writer's integrity.

Don DeLillo emphasizes that effective writing is not just about the superficial elegance of sentences but is rooted in the deeper integrity of the writer. Genuine writing resonates when the author skillfully aligns their true self with the language they employ, creating a harmonious interplay that captivates readers.

Themes

WritingIntegrityLanguageAuthenticityExpression

In practice

Example use cases

In a writing workshop, when discussing the importance of authenticity in personal narratives.

More from Don Delillo

The writer is the person who stands outside society, independent of affiliation and independent of influence.
Don DelilloRead
War is the form nostalgia takes when men are hard-pressed to say something good about their country.
Don DelilloRead
American writers ought to stand and live in the margins, and be more dangerous.
Don DelilloRead
For me, writing is a concentrated form of thinking.
Don DelilloRead
I used to think it was possible for an artist to alter the inner life of the culture. Now bomb-makers and gunmen have taken that territory.
Don DelilloRead
[I]n the American soul there is a lonely individual standing in a vast landscape. 
He is either on a horse or driving a car, depending, and either way he’s carrying a gun. 
This is one of the essential images in American mythology.
Don DelilloRead

Similar quotes

For the creation of a masterwork of literature two powers must concur, the power of the man and the power of the moment, and the man is not enough without the moment.
Matthew ArnoldRead
Honestly, I am so ignorant of how dance works that I can't even imagine a story that you would want to tell through movement.
Ira GlassRead
It's true that none of my characters are admirable. But maybe I'm primarily a satirist, and a satirist needs to hold up what's not admirable.
T. C. BoyleRead
The only important elements in any society are the artistic and the criminal, because they alone, by questioning the society’s values, can force it to change.
Samuel R. DelanyRead
Writers, you know, are the beggars of Western society.
Octavio PazRead
The play is done; the curtain drops,_x000D_ _x000D_ Slow falling to the prompter's bell_x000D_ _x000D_ A moment yet the actor stops_x000D_ _x000D_ And looks around to say farewell.
William Makepeace ThackerayRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.

Quote by Don Delillo | QuoteProject