Artists are not cheerleaders, and we're not the heads of tourism boards. We expose and discuss what is problematic, what is contradictory, what is hurtful and what is silenced in the culture we're in.
Junot DiazRead
Our relationship wasn't the sun, the moon, the stars, but it wasn't bullshit, either.
Interpretation
This quote reflects a realistic view of a relationship, acknowledging its complexities without oversimplifying it.
Junot Diaz's quote portrays the nuanced nature of relationships, suggesting that they may not always be extraordinary or idealized like celestial bodies, yet they hold significant value and truth that shouldn't be dismissed as trivial. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing the authenticity and substance within interpersonal connections rather than succumbing to overly romanticized notions.
In practice
During a discussion on the nature of love and relationships, this quote can illustrate the idea that not all relationships are dramatic or fairy-tale like.
Artists are not cheerleaders, and we're not the heads of tourism boards. We expose and discuss what is problematic, what is contradictory, what is hurtful and what is silenced in the culture we're in.
Run a hand through your hair, like the white boys do, even though the only thing that runs easily through your hair is Africa.
I can see myself watching him shave every morning. And at other time I see us in that house and see how one bright day (or a day like this, so cold your mind shifts every time the wind does) he will wake up and decide it's all wrong. I'm sorry, he'll say. I have to leave now.
Migration gives a blank cheque to put anything you don't feel like addressing in the memory hold. No neighbours can go against the monster narrative of your family.
We all dream dreams of unity, of purity; we all dream that there's an authoritative voice out there that will explain things, including ourselves.
I think 90% of my ideas evaporate because I have a terrible memory and because I seem to be committed to not scribble anything down. As soon as I write it down, my mind rejects it.
The trouble with me is that for a long time I have just been an I person. All people belong to a We except me. Not to belong to a We makes you too lonesome.
Thank you for leaving us alone but giving us enough attention to boost our egos.
Hate is not the opposite of love; apathy is.
There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.
You walked in, laughing, tears welling confused, mingling in your throat. How can you be so many women to so many people, oh you strange girl?
And there she was, alone and walking out in the cornfield while everyone else I cared for sat together in one room. She would always feel me and think of me. I could see that, but there was no longer anything I could do. Ruth had been a girl haunted and now she would be a woman haunted. First by accident and now by choice. All of it, the story of my life and death, was hers if she chose tot ell it, even to one person at a time.
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