They're ugly, but those are the facts of life.
Harper LeeRead
Rest assured, as long as I am alive any book purporting to be with my cooperation is a falsehood.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of authenticity in artistic work and the rejection of inauthentic representations.
Harper Lee's quote addresses concerns about the integrity and authenticity of her literary works. It asserts that as long as she is living, any book claiming to have her cooperation is not genuine, highlighting her desire to maintain control over her legacy and the narratives that are associated with her name, particularly in a world where authorship can become muddled through exploitation and misrepresentation.
Themes
AuthenticityLiteratureLegacyTruthRepresentation
In practice
Example use cases
During a literary discussion about authorial intent, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of respect for an author's wishes.
More from Harper Lee
All quotes →It's better to be silent than to be a fool.
Harper LeeRead
Don’t talk like that, Dill,” said Aunt Alexandra. “It’s not becoming to a child. It’s – cynical.” “I ain’t cynical, Miss Alexandra. Tellin’ the truth’s not cynical, is it?” “The way you tell it, it is.
Harper LeeRead
With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.
Harper LeeRead
He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.
Harper LeeRead
You can choose your friends but you sho' can't choose your family, an' they're still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge 'em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you don't.
Harper LeeRead
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The work of black creatives seems to always get undermined in one way or another, and that's what this new generation is actively changing by speaking up. We aren't accepting group categorization and group classifications to describe our work anymore - it just leads to group dismissal.
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All the definitions people want to put on you in terms of what kind of writer you are come with hidden meanings. If you're writing science fiction, you're writing rocket ships. If you write dystopian fiction, it's inequity where The Man must be fought.
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I sit in the dark and wait for a little flame to appear at the end of my pencil.
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You don't decide to paint. It's like getting hungry and going to the kitchen to eat. It's a need, not a choice.
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I understood that synergistic dance between photographer and object - 'muse,' if you will, 'model,' whatever you call us. It's that silent language of communication, like being psychic with each other.
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