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A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world.
Susan Sontag
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Interpretation

What this quote means

A writer observes and reflects on the world around them.

In this quote, Susan Sontag emphasizes the role of a writer as an attentive observer of the world. By paying close attention to their surroundings, a writer is able to capture and convey deep truths and insights, turning ordinary experiences into profound narratives.

Themes

WriterAttentionWorldObservationCreativity

In practice

Example use cases

In a writing workshop, this quote could inspire aspiring authors to observe their surroundings for inspiration.

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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In NY sensuality completely turns into sexuality - no objects for the senses to respond to, no beautiful river, houses, people. Awful smells of the street, and dirt... Nothing except eating, if that, and the frenzy of the bed.
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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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