she wanted to know what American writers I liked…
““she wanted to know what American writers I liked. "Hawthorne, Henry James, Emily Dickinson…" "No, living." Ah, well, hmm, let's see: how difficult, the rival factor being what it is, for a contemporary author, or would-be author, to confess admiration for another. At last I said, "Not Hemingway—a really dishonest man, the closet-everything. Not Thomas Wolfe—all that purple upchuck; of course, he isn't living. Faulkner, sometimes: Light in August. Fitzgerald, sometimes: Diamond as Big as the Ritz, Tender Is the Night. I really like Willa Cather. Have you read My Mortal Enemy?" With no particular expression, she said, "Actually, I wrote it.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Capote discusses the difficulty of admiring living contemporary writers, revealing his preferences and the paradox of literary admiration.
In simple terms: Hard to admire living writers; mentions favorites.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge literary influences openly.
Themes
literature
admiration
contemporary writers
honesty
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
introspective
Type
literary
critical
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- writing workshops
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
literary criticism
authorship
influence
Questions to Reflect On
- Why is it harder to praise living authors?
- How does admiration shape your own writing?
A Different Perspective
May seem dismissive of living peers.