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I don't write because there's an audience. I write because there is literature.
Susan Sontag
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Writing is done for the love of literature, not for the audience.

In this quote, Susan Sontag emphasizes the intrinsic value of writing and literature, suggesting that the act of writing should stem from a passion for the craft itself rather than seeking external validation or popularity. It highlights the importance of genuine expression and creativity over commercial success or audience approval.

Themes

WritingLiteraturePassionSelf-ExpressionCreativity

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about writing, you could use this quote to emphasize the importance of passion in creativity.

More from Susan Sontag

Like the collector, the photographer is animated by a passion that, even when it appears to be for the present, is linked to a sense of the past.
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Science fiction films are not about science. They are about disaster, which is one of the oldest subjects of art.
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Gide and I have attained such perfect intellectual communion that I experience the appropriate labor pains for every thought he gives birth to!
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Volume depends precisely on the writer's having been able to sit in a room every day, year after year, alone.
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It hurts to love. It's like giving yourself to be flayed and knowing that at any moment the other person may just walk off with your skin.
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