Ma's still nodding. "You're the one who matters, though. Just you." I shake my head till it's wobbling because there's no just me.
Emma DonoghueRead
Writing stories is my way of scratching that itch: my escape from the claustrophobia of individuality. It lets me, at least for a while, live more than one life, walk more than one path. Reading, of course, can do the same.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing and reading provide an escape from the confines of individual experience, allowing exploration of different lives and paths.
In this quote, Emma Donoghue expresses the profound impact of storytelling and reading on the human experience. Through writing stories, she finds a means to transcend her individual limitations and explore multiple perspectives, experiences, and narratives, evoking a sense of freedom and possibility. Similarly, reading allows individuals to step into the shoes of others and experience different lives, broadening their understanding of the world.
Themes
WritingReadingStoriesEscapeIndividuality
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of literature, you might say, 'As Emma Donoghue wisely noted, writing stories is my way of scratching that itch.'
More from Emma Donoghue
All quotes →Ah yes, the paradox of publicity is that even as we do it, we know it's killing off the chance of another reader happening across our book in the ideal state of innocence.
Emma DonoghueRead
At the door, there was one of those moment when two people realize that they like each other more than they know each other. This is nicer than the opposite situation, but more awkward. You try to remember the protocol for touching. You hate to gush, or presume to much, yet you are unwilling to let the moment pass without without some gesture
Emma DonoghueRead
You cannot predict literary success; the only way you can possibly aim for it is to do your thing and do it well.
Emma DonoghueRead
Books are the air I breathe, so I don't notice the seasons.
Emma DonoghueRead
...real loneliness is having no one to miss. Think yourself lucky you've known something worth missing.
Emma DonoghueRead
Similar quotes
In my opinion, trying to guess what readers want is the wrong approach. You have to tell your story as best you can and as true to yourself as possible. You have to be honest and fair and vulnerable and foolish and brave, and not care what anyone thinks of it.
Jeannette WallsRead
Writing is very improvisational. It's like trying to fix a broken sewing machine with safety pins and rubber bands. A lot of tinkering.
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I really believe that if you practice enough you could paint the 'Mona Lisa' with a two-inch brush.
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The best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.
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When I paint green, it doesn't mean grass; when I paint blue, it doesn't mean sky.
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I detest my past, and anyone else's. I detest resignation, patience, professional heroism and obligatory beautiful feelings. I also detest the decorative arts, folklore, advertising, voices making announcements, aerodynamism, boy scouts, the smell of moth balls, events of the moment, and drunken people.
Rene MagritteRead