I belong to Russian literature, but I am an American citizen, and I think it's the best possible combination.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the blend of cultural identity, highlighting the enrichment that comes from belonging to two different literary traditions.
Joseph Brodsky's quote expresses his dual identity as a Russian literary figure and an American citizen, emphasizing how this combination allows him to draw from a rich cultural heritage while also embracing the freedoms and opportunities that come with American citizenship. He suggests that the synthesis of these two worlds enhances his perspective and creativity, showcasing how diverse influences can lead to a more profound artistic expression.
In practice
In a speech about cultural diversity, one might quote this to highlight the beauty of blending different literary traditions.
Basically, it's hard for me to assess myself, a hardship not only prompted by the immodesty of the enterprise, but because one is not capable of assessing himself, let alone his work. However, if I were to summarize, my main interest is the nature of time. That's what interests me most of all. What time can do to a man.
One always pulls the trigger out of self-interest and quotes history to avoid responsibility or pangs of conscience.
On the whole, infinity is a fairly palpable aspect of this business of publishing, if only because it extends a dead author's existence beyond the limits he envisioned, or provides a living author with a future he cannot measure. In other words, this business deals with the future which we all prefer to regard as unending.
The invention of ethical and political doctrines, which blossomed into our own social sciences, is a product of times when things appeared manageable. The same goes for the criticism of those doctrines, though as a voice from the past, this criticism proved prophetic.
Try not to pay attention to those who will try to make life miserable for you. There will be a lot of those - in the official capacity as well as the self-appointed.
To put it in plain language, Russia is that country where the name of a writer appears not on the cover of his book, but on the door of his prison cell.
He's a great writer. If I didn't think so I wouldn't have tried to kill him... I was the champ and when I read his stuff I knew he had something. So I dropped a heavy glass skylight on his head at a drinking party. But you can't kill the guy. He's not human.
I don't believe chance can play a role in my literature.
It is with noble sentiments that bad literature gets written.
The disappointing second novel is measured against the brilliant first novel - often no novel lives up to the first. Literary improvement seems like an unfair expectation.
Fiction and nonfiction are not so easily divided. Fiction may not be real, but it's true; it goes beyond the garland of facts to get to emotional and psychological truths.
No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be a heroine... But from fifteen to seventeen she was in training for a heroine.
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