Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.
MartialRead
My poems are naughty, but my life is pure.
Interpretation
The quote expresses a contrast between the playful nature of the author's poetry and the seriousness of his personal life.
In this quote, Martial highlights the dichotomy between his artistic expression and his personal conduct. While he creates mischievous and provocative poetry, his actual life is characterized by purity and integrity, suggesting that one can separate their creative work from their personal values.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the role of creativity in personal expression.
Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.
Life is not merely to be alive, but to be well.
To the ashes of the dead glory comes too late.
Life's not just about being alive, but being well.
Neither fear your death's day nor long for it.
Service cannot be expected from a friend in service; let him be a freeman who wishes to be my master.
I also had a brother who was like me a musician and a composer. A man of great talent, far more gifted than I. He died very young... he killed himself in the prime of his life.
Long before I started to write in earnest, Lorrie Moore taught me you could have a woman narrator who was funny and complex and even wrongheaded. She opened up a lot of space that me and a million other women rushed into.
The minute you start the process of deciding to make a film and you're communicating that vision to anyone, you're in the process of selling. If you don't understand that, you're not in show business. You're just not.
Little events, ordinary things, smashed and reconstituted. Suddenly, they become the bleached bones of a story.
I don't know exactly how I end up with some of these roles. It mystifies me sometimes, but I am a fan of sci-fi. I love being taken into a strange world, and when it's told with imagination and credibility, I love being taken on that trip. I always have.
Samurai films, like westerns, need not be familiar genre stories. They can expand to contain stories of ethical challenges and human tragedy.
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