--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes the autobiographical link in…" description: "\"Sometimes the autobiographical link in each story is very literal, like I did work at The Texas School for the Blind, and I did once lose a mattress ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/arthur-bradford-24226_blind_sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-e_1557104.jpg" --- # Sometimes the autobiographical link in each story is very… ![“Sometimes the autobiographical link in each story is very literal, like I did work at The Texas School for the Blind, and I did once lose a mattress out of the back of a friend's truck.” quote by Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/arthur-bradford-24226_blind_sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-e_1557104.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/arthur-bradford-24226_blind_sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-e_1557104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/arthur-bradford-24226_blind_sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-e_1557104.jpg) > “Sometimes the autobiographical link in each story is very literal, like I did work at The Texas School for the Blind, and I did once lose a mattress out of the back of a friend's truck.” [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author notes that personal experiences, even mundane ones like losing a mattress, become literal material for storytelling, underscoring the authenticity derived from lived events. **In simple terms:** Real life events provide authentic story material. Key Takeaway Incorporate personal anecdotes into work. Themes authenticity storytelling experience humor Mood humorous introspective Type creative reflective When to use this quote - writing workshops - public speaking - teaching - media production - personal branding Key Concepts memoir creative nonfiction personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - Which personal moments best illustrate your message? - How can you balance personal detail with universal themes? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on personal detail may limit broader relevance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autobiographical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiographical/) [Autobiographical Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiographical-link-5832975/) [Blind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Link Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/link-story-5832976/) [Links](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/links/) [Literal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literal/) [Literal Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literal-like-4563421/) [Loses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loses/) [Mattresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mattresses/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Literal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-literal-5832974/) [Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas/) [Truck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truck/) ## Related quotes > [I don't like literal spaces, I don't like literal anything. I still like some kind of guess work but some pieces work and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-shawn-alexander/i-don-t-like-literal-spaces-i-don-t-like-literal-anything-i-still/) [Jason Shawn Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-shawn-alexander/) > [In the long run, a portfolio of well chosen stocks and/or equity mutual funds will always outperform a portfolio of bonds or a money-market…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lynch/in-the-long-run-a-portfolio-of-well-chosen-stocks-and-or-equity/) [Peter Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lynch/) > [Tell me about yourself." "Myself?" He looks confused. "Yes," I say, patting the mattress. "You know all there is to know," he says, sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/tell-me-about-yourself-myself-he-looks-confused-yes-i-say-patting-the/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [You may not instantly see why I bring the subject up, but that is because my mind works so phenomenally fast, and I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/you-may-not-instantly-see-why-i-bring-the-subject-up-but-that-is/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I'm not the poorest president. The poorest is the one who needs a lot to live. My lifestyle is a consequence of my wounds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mujica/i-m-not-the-poorest-president-the-poorest-is-the-one-who-needs-a-lot/) [Jose Mujica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mujica/) > [When my parents were liberated, four years before I was born, they found that the ordinary world outside the camp had been eradicated. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-michaels/when-my-parents-were-liberated-four-years-before-i-was-born-they/) [Anne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-michaels/) > [On a grander scale, when a society segregates itself, the consequences affect the economy, the emotions, and the ecology. That's one reason why it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/on-a-grander-scale-when-a-society-segregates-itself-the-consequences/) [Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/) > [Insomnia is only mind over mattress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-ace/insomnia-is-only-mind-over-mattress/) [Jane Ace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-ace/) > [I settled at Cold Mountain long ago Already it seems like ages Wandering free I roam the woods and streams Lingering to watch things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanshan/i-settled-at-cold-mountain-long-ago-already-it-seems-like-ages/) [Hanshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanshan/) > [She was a Jew feeder without a question in the world on that man's first night in Molching. She was an arm reacher, deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/she-was-a-jew-feeder-without-a-question-in-the-world-on-that-man-s/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [I had fun last night," I told Patch, flicking off my chin strap and handing over my helmet. "I'm officially on love with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-had-fun-last-night-i-told-patch-flicking-off-my-chin-strap-and/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [What do you do?' she asks, holding out the vest. 'What do you do?' 'What do you do?' she asks, her voice shaking. 'Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/what-do-you-do-she-asks-holding-out-the-vest-what-do-you-do-what-do/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [Gabriel pulled her over his body to lie on the bed beside him. His kisses pressed her down into the oblivion of the mattress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-curtis-klause/gabriel-pulled-her-over-his-body-to-lie-on-the-bed-beside-him-his/) [Annette Curtis Klause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-curtis-klause/) > [“going to the mattresses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/going-to-the-mattresses/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [If our financial industry regarded security the way the health-care sector does, I would stuff my cash in a mattress under my bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avi-rubin/if-our-financial-industry-regarded-security-the-way-the-health-care/) [Avi Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avi-rubin/) ## More by Arthur Bradford > [I'd just like to point out that almost all of these stories in this collection were rejected by some publication at one time or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-d-just-like-to-point-out-that-almost-all-of-these-stories-in-this/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I never really set out to research any of these stories. I try to lead an interesting life though. I guess the closest I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-never-really-set-out-to-research-any-of-these-stories-i-try-to-lead/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [Dogwalker is a book of fiction, with characters based on the types of people who truly exist in the world. I've seen them and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/dogwalker-is-a-book-of-fiction-with-characters-based-on-the-types-of/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [The first story I wrote was "Catface" which was later selected for The O. Henry Collection, so that gave me some confidence to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/the-first-story-i-wrote-was-catface-which-was-later-selected-for-the/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I want the situations and plots to be surprising and unusual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-want-the-situations-and-plots-to-be-surprising-and-unusual/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I have two dogs myself and they are always around when I write, so they tend to creep in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-have-two-dogs-myself-and-they-are-always-around-when-i-write-so/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I'm just a dog person. I love dogs very much, especially big ones, hounds, and retrievers. I think they are funny and often have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-m-just-a-dog-person-i-love-dogs-very-much-especially-big-ones/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I chose the title Dogwalker because that describes me pretty well. I spend a lot of time walking around with my dogs. I'd say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-chose-the-title-dogwalker-because-that-describes-me-pretty-well-i/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I want people to read them and enjoy the experience and feel entertained. A lot of the best stories revolve around strange people, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-want-people-to-read-them-and-enjoy-the-experience-and-feel/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I'm interested in other animals too though. There's the slug in "Mollusks", and I wrote a story about bees and one about a cat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-m-interested-in-other-animals-too-though-there-s-the-slug-in/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I make films about people with disabilities as well and I think this question is more relevant in regards to these documentaries where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-make-films-about-people-with-disabilities-as-well-and-i-think-this/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [Some of the stories in Dogwalker were written as long as four years ago, but I wouldn't say I've been working on this collection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/some-of-the-stories-in-dogwalker-were-written-as-long-as-four-years/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I know that some of the things which happen in these stories are not likely, but sometimes I wonder if they are not possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-know-that-some-of-the-things-which-happen-in-these-stories-are-not/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I was living in a house with 11 dogs and all I thought about was dogs. I never had sex with any of them though.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-was-living-in-a-house-with-11-dogs-and-all-i-thought-about-was-dogs/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) > [I have many stories which don't make it to the computer. When I put it into the computer I make some changes and often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/i-have-many-stories-which-don-t-make-it-to-the-computer-when-i-put-it/) [Arthur Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) [Explore all 24 Arthur Bradford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/) ## More Autobiographical quotes > [“I am not and autobiographical writer--one can't be without a solid and explicable self--and read all autobiographical writers with the same curiosity. What kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yiyun-li/i-am-not-and-autobiographical-writer-one-can-t-be-without-a-solid-and/) [Yiyun Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yiyun-li/) > [I'm always saying that my books are not autobiographical because they're not. I can't choose any one scene and say, 'Oh, this is exactly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-von-ziegesar/i-m-always-saying-that-my-books-are-not-autobiographical-because-they/) [Cecily von Ziegesar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-von-ziegesar/) > [Race as a subject only comes about because of what I look like. If I say something truthfully, people say "Oh, she's so angry."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/race-as-a-subject-only-comes-about-because-of-what-i-look-like-if-i/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [Of necessity, the autobiographical self is not just about one individual but about all the others that an individual interacts with. Of necessity, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-damasio/of-necessity-the-autobiographical-self-is-not-just-about-one/) [Antonio Damasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-damasio/) > [Because of the wonderfully positive response to 'Life's That Way,' I am considering writing some more autobiographical stuff - maybe another book. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-beaver/because-of-the-wonderfully-positive-response-to-life-s-that-way-i-am/) [Jim Beaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-beaver/) > [I occasionally experience the discomfort of people assuming my work is autobiographical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-occasionally-experience-the-discomfort-of-people-assuming-my-work/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [Autobiographical comics, I love them. I love them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/autobiographical-comics-i-love-them-i-love-them/) [Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/) > [It's actually easier to do autobiographical stories. The story is already there. It's a matter of carving away what doesn't fit rather than building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/it-s-actually-easier-to-do-autobiographical-stories-the-story-is/) [Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/) > [My books aren't autobiographical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/my-books-aren-t-autobiographical/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [“Attempting to express a person’s objective reality and subjective state of mind with the written word is an endless task because writing alters our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/attempting-to-express-a-person-s-objective-reality-and-subjective/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [Memoir is actually the most egoless genre, even though it might seem ostensibly so much ego-driven. In order for it to succeed, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-flynn/memoir-is-actually-the-most-egoless-genre-even-though-it-might-seem/) [Nick Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-flynn/) > [I'm not an autobiographical writer, but I am a writer who deals with human emotion on all levels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-an-autobiographical-writer-but-i-am-a-writer-who-deals-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“is a little remarkable, that—though disinclined to talk overmuch of myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personal friends—an autobiographical impulse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/is-a-little-remarkable-that-though-disinclined-to-talk-overmuch-of/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [There certainly is no secret in that there are plenty of people who don't like plenty of my movies. Each one of my films…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-reitman/there-certainly-is-no-secret-in-that-there-are-plenty-of-people-who/) [Jason Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-reitman/) > ['Normal' is not clinical, it's not autobiographical, and I don't claim to be objective. It's strictly my perceptions and thoughts about the people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/normal-is-not-clinical-it-s-not-autobiographical-and-i-don-t-claim-to/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) [Browse all 202 Autobiographical quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autobiographical/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes the autobiographical link in each story is very literal, like I did work at The Texas School for the Blind, and I did once lose a mattress out of the back of a friend's truck.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Bradford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-each-story-is-very-literal/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Autobiographical" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-each-story-is-very-literal/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/arthur-bradford-24226_blind_sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-e_1557104.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/arthur-bradford-24226_blind_sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-e_1557104.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a7/arthur-bradford-24226_blind_sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-e_1557104.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes the autobiographical link in each story is very literal, like I did work at The Texas School for…” — Arthur Bradford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Arthur Bradford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bradford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes the autobiographical link in each...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-each-story-is-very-literal/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bradford/sometimes-the-autobiographical-link-in-each-story-is-very-literal/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```