I'm a frotteur, someone who likes to rub words in his hand, to turn them around and feel them, to wonder if that really is the best word possible.
James SalterRead
One is seduced and battered in turn. The result is presumably wisdom. Wisdom! We are clinging to life like lizards. Why is it so difficult to assemble those things that really matter in life and to dwell among them only? I am referring to certain landscapes, persons, beasts, books, rooms, meteorological conditions, fruits. In fact, I insist on it. A letter is like a poem, it leaps into life and shows very clearly the marks, perhaps I should say thumbprints, of an unwilling or unready composer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the complexity of life and the struggle to focus on what truly matters amidst various distractions.
In this quote, James Salter explores the dichotomy of life experiences, suggesting that wisdom arises from both the joys and hardships that one encounters. He emphasizes the difficulty of assembling the essential elements that define our lives, such as relationships and experiences, while also highlighting the artistic nature of communication through letters, which capture the essence of their creators involuntarily. Ultimately, Salter's reflections encourage a deeper contemplation of the meaningful aspects of existence, urging readers to prioritize what truly matters.
Themes
WisdomLifeExperienceFocusRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of mindfulness, one might say, 'As James Salter insightfully reflects, we must focus on what truly matters in our lives.'
More from James Salter
All quotes →The summer has ended. The garden withers. The mornings become chill. I am thirty, I am thirty-four -the years turn dry as leaves.
James SalterRead
Why is it so difficult to assemble those things that really matter in life and to dwell among them only? I am referring to certain landscapes, persons, beasts, books, rooms, meteorological conditions, fruits.
James SalterRead
If you read a book about school - someone else's book - you always translate it into your own school experiences. It's describing the student: he's bewildered and lost in a large crowd in a university classroom. You'll visualize that from your own experiences. So, everything you know is what you're really writing.
James SalterRead
I think you can be taught to write. You can't be taught to be a good writer. For that, you have to bring something to it, yourself, something that can't be given to you.
James SalterRead
I sometimes say that I don't make anything up - obviously that's not true. But I am uninterested in writers who say that everything comes out of the imagination. I would rather be in a room with someone who is telling the story of his life, which may be exaggerated and even have lies in it, but I want to hear the true story, essentially.
James SalterRead
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