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.
We must love one another, yes, yes, that's all true enough, but nothing says we have to like each other. It may be the very recognition of all men as our brothers that accounts for the sibling rivalry, and even enmity, we have toward so many of them.
I started really noticing, more and more, how men will plagiarize and take credit for women's work... I've noticed that it just happens a lot.
It's not enough to be American. You always have to be something else, Irish-American, German-American, and you'd wonder how they'd get along if someone hadn't invented the hyphen
If you wanna get a report card on your faith, see how you are dealing with people who are really difficult to deal with.
No journalist has ever been in my house and no photographs have ever been taken of where I live. I don't parade my family out for display, which is the way it will stay.
People may go to the library looking mainly for information, but they find each other there.
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