--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a writer, I have to admit, there is…" description: "\"As a writer, I have to admit, there is something darkly compelling about Alzheimer's because it attacks the two things most central to a writer's craft..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/charlie-pierce-13624_about_as-a-writer-i-have-to-admit-there-is-som_1530838.png" --- # As a writer, I have to admit, there is something darkly… ![“As a writer, I have to admit, there is something darkly compelling about Alzheimer's because it attacks the two things most central to a writer's craft - language and memory, which together make up an individual's identity. Alzheimer's makes a new character out of a familiar person.” quote by Charlie Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/charlie-pierce-13624_about_as-a-writer-i-have-to-admit-there-is-som_1530838.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/charlie-pierce-13624_about_as-a-writer-i-have-to-admit-there-is-som_1530838.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/charlie-pierce-13624_about_as-a-writer-i-have-to-admit-there-is-som_1530838.png) > “As a writer, I have to admit, there is something darkly compelling about Alzheimer's because it attacks the two things most central to a writer's craft - language and memory, which together make up an individual's identity. Alzheimer's makes a new character out of a familiar person.” [Charlie Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-pierce/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Alzheimer’s erodes language and memory, core tools of writers, turning familiar people into strangers and reshaping identity. **In simple terms:** Alzheimer’s steals language and memory, reshaping identity. Key Takeaway Cherish and document stories now. Themes memory identity language neurodegeneration Mood sad empathetic urgent Type philosophical inspirational educational When to use this quote - caregiver support - writing therapy - public awareness - ethical storytelling Key Concepts cognitive loss personal narrative empathy Questions to Reflect On - How does loss of language affect personal identity? - What can writers do to preserve memories? A Different Perspective The focus on writers may ignore broader societal impacts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Admit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admit/) [Alzheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alzheimer/) [Alzheimer 's](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alzheimer-s/) [Alzheimer Attacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alzheimer-attacks-5679240/) [Alzheimer Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alzheimer-makes-5679239/) [Attacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attacks/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Central](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/central/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Compelling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelling/) [Compelling Alzheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compelling-alzheimer-5679238/) [Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craft/) [Crafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crafts/) [Dementia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dementia/) [Familiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/familiar/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Identity Alzheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity-alzheimer-5679237/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-up/) [Makes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makes/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-things/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Which](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/which/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [People do not realize that Alzheimer's is not old age. It is a progressive and fatal disease, and staggering amounts of people develop Alzheimer's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-kanakaredes/people-do-not-realize-that-alzheimer-s-is-not-old-age-it-is-a/) [Melina Kanakaredes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-kanakaredes/) > [You're young forever when you write. Alfred Hitchcock directed until the day he died. As long as you don't have any dementia or Alzheimer's,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/you-re-young-forever-when-you-write-alfred-hitchcock-directed-until/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [If you don't have imagination, you stop being human; animals don't have imagination; Alzheimer's is the death of imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/if-you-don-t-have-imagination-you-stop-being-human-animals-don-t-have/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [ I \[...\] vowed that rather than let Alzheimer's take me, I would take it. I would live my life as ever to the full… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-vowed-that-rather-than-let-alzheimer-s-take-me-i-would-take-it-i/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I think I'm getting a little bit of Alzheimer's. Just a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-think-i-m-getting-a-little-bit-of-alzheimer-s-just-a-little/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [The simplest way to look at all these associations, between obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and Alzheimer's (not to mention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/the-simplest-way-to-look-at-all-these-associations-between-obesity/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [It occurred to me that at one point it was like I had two diseases - one was Alzheimers, and the other was knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/it-occurred-to-me-that-at-one-point-it-was-like-i-had-two-diseases/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [I regard music therapy as a tool of great power in many neurological disorders -- Parkinson's and Alzheimer's -- because of its unique capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-sacks/i-regard-music-therapy-as-a-tool-of-great-power-in-many-neurological/) [Oliver Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-sacks/) > [I am saddened when I hear these words -this is not the person I knew - because those words objectify the person suffering from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-demarco/i-am-saddened-when-i-hear-these-words-this-is-not-the-person-i-knew/) [Bob DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-demarco/) > [I'm in awe of people out there who deal with Alzheimer's, because they have to deal with death 10 times over, year after year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-wallace/i-m-in-awe-of-people-out-there-who-deal-with-alzheimer-s-because-they/) [Marcia Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-wallace/) > [You don't just wake up one day with dementia or Alzheimer's; these conditions are developmental. Even when a problem triggers the need to collect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-le/you-don-t-just-wake-up-one-day-with-dementia-or-alzheimer-s-these/) [Tan Le](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-le/) > [I loved my husband very much, and it was heartbreaking to have him develop Alzheimer's disease, and to stand by and watch him decline…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/i-loved-my-husband-very-much-and-it-was-heartbreaking-to-have-him/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [I have a particular passion and focus on Alzheimer's and diseases of dementia. There's just so much scientifically that we don't know, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-d-white/i-have-a-particular-passion-and-focus-on-alzheimer-s-and-diseases-of/) [Miles D. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-d-white/) > [Today is the best day I could ever have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-dees/today-is-the-best-day-i-could-ever-have/) [Rick Dees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-dees/) > [Some of my best friends are Venture Capitalists, but let's face it, a hamster with Alzheimer's could make those kind of numbers. It's great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/some-of-my-best-friends-are-venture-capitalists-but-let-s-face-it-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) ## More by Charlie Pierce > [There is a barbarism in the American soul, and we must protect some of it by law. To root it out is to endanger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-pierce/there-is-a-barbarism-in-the-american-soul-and-we-must-protect-some-of/) [Charlie Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-pierce/) > [This has been the new normal since September 11. 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