One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.
29 October 2008
New Dillard
I just saw this: a new Annie Dillard book is coming out next March!--a 50 page illustrated volume on writing. The title is obviously from The Writing Life (one of my favorite quotes, in fact):
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4 comments:
Of all the Annie Dillard quotes in all the world, that one has always been my favorite.
Yes! That whole book is a miracle.
Thank you so much for reminding me of this passage -- exactly when I needed to read it, to work out a conundrum.
And thanks for flagging the Atlas in your sidebar! If you want to guest-blog for us about translation, drop me a line: penatlas [at] gmail [dot] com.
It would be an honor. The semester is winding down and travel and the holidays approach, but I hope to be in touch soon. Thank you so much!
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