Yes, I know what you mean about writing and writers. We…
““Yes, I know what you mean about writing and writers. We seem to have lost the target. Writers seem to write to be known as writers. They don’t write because something is driving them toward the edge. I look back at when Pound, T. S. Eliot, e. e. Cummings, Jeffers, Auden, Spender were about. Their work cracked right through the paper, set it on fire. Poems became events, explosions. There was a high excitement. Now, for decades there has seemed to be this lull, almost a practiced lull, as if dullness indicated genius. And if a new talent came along it was only a flash, a few poems, a thin book and then he or she was sanded down, ingested into the quiet nothingness. Talent without durability is a god damned crime. It means they went to the soft trap, it means they believed the praise, it means they settled short. A writer is not a writer because he has written some books. A writer is not a writer because he teaches literature. A writer is only a writer if he can write now, tonight, this minute. We have too many x-writers who type. Books fall from my hand to the floor. They are total crap. I think we have just blown away half a century to the stinking winds. Yes,””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The quote laments modern writers’ loss of urgency and authenticity, urging writers to create with immediacy and passion rather than for fame or complacency.
In simple terms: Writers should write now, with fire, not for reputation.
Key Takeaway
Write with urgency and purpose.
Themes
authenticity
urgency
creativity
literary standards
talent durability
Mood
frustrated
critical
passionate
Type
critical
reflective
inspirational
When to use this quote
- publishing industry
- personal writing practice
- literary criticism
- creative workshops
Key Concepts
artistic integrity
creative impulse
cultural criticism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can writers maintain fire in a market-driven world?
- What practices keep creativity alive?
A Different Perspective
The pressure to produce commercially viable work can stifle genuine expression.