Anyone could buy a green Jaguar, find beauty in a Japanese…
““Anyone could buy a green Jaguar, find beauty in a Japanese screen two thousand years old. I would rather be a connoisseur of neglected rivers and flowering mustard and the flush of iridescent pink on an intersection pigeon's charcoal neck. I thought of the vet, warming dinner over a can, and the old woman feeding her pigeons in the intersection behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken. And what about the ladybug man, the blue of his eyes over gray threaded black? There were me and Yvonne, Niki and Paul Trout, maybe even Sergei or Susan D. Valeris, why not? What were any of us but a handful of weeds. Who was to say what our value was? What was the value of four Vietnam vets playing poker every afternoon in front of the Spanish market on Glendale Boulevard, making their moves with a greasy deck missing a queen and a five? Maybe the world depended on them, maybe they were the Fates, or the Graces. Cezanne would have drawn them in charcoal. Van Gogh would have painted himself among them.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The passage celebrates finding beauty in ordinary, overlooked moments and people, suggesting value lies in humble, everyday experiences.
In simple terms: Appreciate small, neglected wonders in life.
Key Takeaway
Notice and cherish everyday details.
Themes
beauty
humility
everyday life
Mood
contemplative
nostalgic
Type
literary
poetic
When to use this quote
- urban walking
- mindful observation
- creative writing
- community storytelling
Key Concepts
aesthetic appreciation
human connection
Questions to Reflect On
- What simple moments bring you joy?
- How can we honor unnoticed lives?
A Different Perspective
It may romanticize poverty and struggle.