Thursday, May 13, 2010

From: Letters to a Young Artist

"As an artist you are a student of the human condition. There is no syllabus. You can go to school and seek some structures, some techniques, some advice. Ultimately you must make your own course description, you must discover your own book list, you must make your own regimen, your own discipline. You can work as hard as you like. Or not. You can use the time or not. You can use the world--as much or as little as you like."

Anna Deavere Smith

3 comments:

  1. Good quote. I like your posts because they are short and yet always offer something to think about.

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  2. Thanks, Margo. You hit the nail on the head. Short, yet worthy of being thought about is exactly what I'm going for here.

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  3. I just have to say something. I *love* your booknapping; I've taken to stealing from your site for my own evil purposes ;~). But I also live for your longer posts, where you share your insights on life and writing in that inimitable style of yours.

    Short and something to think about is delicious, but the meaty, penetrating posts written in your own voice are my true love. I tried to look for some to list as an example, but I got lost reading and bookmarking and came back to reality with a jolt. Gotta get on with my day! But not without weighing in with my two cents.

    P.S. I don't read YA novels, but I would rush out and buy yours. One reason: I know your books would have satisfying endings. I just finished a "book for grown-ups" (anthology of short stories) and it was full of those savvy endings that reflect the gritty incompleteness of real life. Bah.

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