A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick -- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.
Neil GaimanRead
As a teenager I wrote to R.A. Lafferty. And he responded, too, with letters that were like R.A. Lafferty short stories, filled with elliptical answers to straight questions and simple answers to complicated ones.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the complexity of communication and the nuanced ways in which individuals respond to questions.
Neil Gaiman shares a personal experience of corresponding with author R.A. Lafferty, highlighting how Lafferty's unique writing style allowed for both simplicity and complexity in his responses. The quote suggests that wisdom can be found in unconventional ways of communicating, and that the answers to life's questions are not always straightforward.
Themes
CommunicationComplexityAnswersQuestionsLiterature
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about creativity, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of unique perspectives.
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