---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I do feel fortunate to have some…"
description: "\"I do feel fortunate to have some knowledge of the great Latin American writers, including some that are probably not that well known in English. Im thi..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/daniel-alarcon-11254_american_i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowled_472060.jpg"
---

#  I do feel fortunate to have some knowledge of the great…

![“I do feel fortunate to have some knowledge of the great Latin American writers, including some that are probably not that well known in English. Im thinking of Jose Maria Arguedas, whom I read when I was living in Lima, and who really impacted the way I viewed my country.” quote by Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/daniel-alarcon-11254_american_i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowled_472060.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/daniel-alarcon-11254_american_i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowled_472060.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/daniel-alarcon-11254_american_i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowled_472060.jpg)

> “I do feel fortunate to have some knowledge of the great Latin American writers, including some that are probably not that well known in English. Im thinking of Jose Maria Arguedas, whom I read when I was living in Lima, and who really impacted the way I viewed my country.”

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker values knowledge of lesser‑known Latin American authors, especially Jose Maria Arguedas, whose work reshaped their perception of their homeland.

**In simple terms:** Learning about obscure writers can change how we see our own country.

Key Takeaway

Seek out diverse literary voices.

Themes

literature identity culture perspective

Mood

reflective curious

Type

analytical inspirational

When to use this quote

- reading clubs
- university courses
- travel experiences
- personal essays

Key Concepts

postcolonialism regionalism author influence

Questions to Reflect On

- How does reading local authors affect national identity?
- What barriers exist to discovering non‑English writers?

A Different Perspective

Limited access to translations may hinder broader appreciation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[American writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/) [American writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writers/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Latin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin/) [Latin america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-america/) [Latin american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-american/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/)

## Related quotes

> [I have been definitely influenced more by Latin American writers than by any other type of writer. They are very close in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-hagedorn/i-have-been-definitely-influenced-more-by-latin-american-writers-than/)

[Jessica Hagedorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-hagedorn/)

> [The Americans only like things they can label, even if it kills them. Think of those poor Latin American writers. Some of them are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-americans-only-like-things-they-can-label-even-if-it-kills-them/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [Jorge Luis Borges had the soapbox and the authority to complain about this myopic understanding of the duty of Latin American writers, which sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-morris/jorge-luis-borges-had-the-soapbox-and-the-authority-to-complain-about/)

[Adam Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-morris/)

> [I always read the Latin American writers. I love so many of them: Gabriel García Márquez, José Donoso, Alejo Carpentier, Jorge Luis Borges, Clarice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porochista-khakpour/i-always-read-the-latin-american-writers-i-love-so-many-of-them/)

[Porochista Khakpour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porochista-khakpour/)

> [With My Dog-Eyes by Hilda Hilst got more exposure and reached far more readers than I ever expected. Even my editor at Melville House,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-morris/with-my-dog-eyes-by-hilda-hilst-got-more-exposure-and-reached-far/)

[Adam Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-morris/)

> [Jorge Luis Borges was lamenting a variety of Orientalism that was used to measure the alleged authenticity of Argentine and Latin American writers in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-morris/jorge-luis-borges-was-lamenting-a-variety-of-orientalism-that-was/)

[Adam Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-morris/)

> [Incidentally, I am intrigued by how many European and Latin American writers expressed their political views in the columns they routinely wrote or write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-mishra/incidentally-i-am-intrigued-by-how-many-european-and-latin-american/)

[Pankaj Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-mishra/)

> [When you think about fascism and right-wing governments, oftentimes people think about European history, but it's been flaring up on and off all throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-peters/when-you-think-about-fascism-and-right-wing-governments-oftentimes/)

[Torrey Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-peters/)

> [My friend, Dennis Mathis, was reading Eastern European and Japanese experimental writers, and I brought the Latin American writers to his attention, so we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/my-friend-dennis-mathis-was-reading-eastern-european-and-japanese/)

[Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/)

> [There are stories that are by and for Latin Americans, where a certain amount of cultural fluency is expected, where we can delight in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/there-are-stories-that-are-by-and-for-latin-americans-where-a-certain/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [For fiction, I'm not particularly nationalistic. I'm not like the Hugo Chavez of Latin American letters, you know? I want people to read good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/for-fiction-i-m-not-particularly-nationalistic-i-m-not-like-the-hugo/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [I want people to read good work. If I see someone reading a book by Lorrie Moore or Jennifer Egan, I'm psyched. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-want-people-to-read-good-work-if-i-see-someone-reading-a-book-by/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [I think I'm an American writer writing about Latin America, and I'm a Latin American writer who happens to write in English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-think-i-m-an-american-writer-writing-about-latin-america-and-i-m-a/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [American writers, at least those of us who are fortunate enough to support ourselves in the field, are by and large a lucky lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-burrough/american-writers-at-least-those-of-us-who-are-fortunate-enough-to/)

[Bryan Burrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-burrough/)

> [It's the tradition of American writers getting away in order to see the country - to get a better view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/it-s-the-tradition-of-american-writers-getting-away-in-order-to-see/)

[Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/)

## More by Daniel Alarcon

> [A novel is like an animal you have to hunt down and kill. If you let it sit for two days, it's got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/a-novel-is-like-an-animal-you-have-to-hunt-down-and-kill-if-you-let/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [I love to walk through the streets of Jesus Maria and Pueblo Libre. The Spanish colonial buildings are in bright colors, two stories high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-love-to-walk-through-the-streets-of-jesus-maria-and-pueblo-libre/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [“They spoke without much fluency about a minor universe of events that affected neither of them: the vagaries of neighborhood life, people they both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/they-spoke-without-much-fluency-about-a-minor-universe-of-events-that/)

[Daniel Alarcón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [I guess in my own life I don't really think much about manliness too much. I feel like a lot of men that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-guess-in-my-own-life-i-don-t-really-think-much-about-manliness-too/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [I want people to read good work. If I see someone reading a book by Lorrie Moore or Jennifer Egan, I'm psyched. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-want-people-to-read-good-work-if-i-see-someone-reading-a-book-by/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [“And what does he feel?" "He feels uneasy. A little afaid. Angry. Oddly, a hint of pride." "Good," Henry said. "ANd where are you?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/and-what-does-he-feel-he-feels-uneasy-a-little-afaid-angry-oddly-a/)

[Daniel Alarcón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [How emigration is actually lived - well, this depends on many factors: education, economic station, language, where one lands, and what support network is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/how-emigration-is-actually-lived-well-this-depends-on-many-factors/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [Eduardo Halfon is a brilliant storyteller, whose gifts are displayed on every page of this beautiful, daring, and deeply humane book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/eduardo-halfon-is-a-brilliant-storyteller-whose-gifts-are-displayed/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [As a boy, I wanted to be the Peruvian Diego Maradona. Sadly, Peru hasnt made the World Cup since 1982, so I guess I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/as-a-boy-i-wanted-to-be-the-peruvian-diego-maradona-sadly-peru-hasnt/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [Publication in 'The New Yorker' meant everything, and it's no exaggeration to say that it changed my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/publication-in-the-new-yorker-meant-everything-and-it-s-no/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [I have a love/hate relationship with the internet. It's obviously the central tool of how I work, and how I keep in touch with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-have-a-love-hate-relationship-with-the-internet-it-s-obviously-the/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [Radio is the medium that most closely approximates the experience of reading. As a novelist, I find it very exciting to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/radio-is-the-medium-that-most-closely-approximates-the-experience-of/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [“He admired this too: their ability to preserve joy at any cost, the way prehistoric man might have preserved fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/he-admired-this-too-their-ability-to-preserve-joy-at-any-cost-the-way/)

[Daniel Alarcón](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [I think probably the thing I'm worst at is the most ephemeral stuff, like blogs. I find it really hard to write. And I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-think-probably-the-thing-i-m-worst-at-is-the-most-ephemeral-stuff/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

> [I write in English because I was raised in the States and educated in this language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-write-in-english-because-i-was-raised-in-the-states-and-educated-in/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

[Explore all 61 Daniel Alarcon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

## More American quotes

> [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/)

[Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/)

> [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/)

[Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/)

> [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/)

[Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/)

> [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/)

[H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/)

> [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/)

[Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/)

> [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/)

[Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/)

> [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/)

[Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/)

> [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/)

[Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/)

> [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/)

[Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/)

> [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/)

[Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/)

> [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/)

[Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/)

> [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/)

[Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/)

> [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

Browse all 7,717 American quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I do feel fortunate to have some knowledge of the great Latin American writers, including some that are probably not that well known in English. Im thinking of Jose Maria Arguedas, whom I read when I was living in Lima, and who really impacted the way I viewed my country.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Daniel Alarcon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowledge-of-the-great-latin/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "American"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowledge-of-the-great-latin/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/daniel-alarcon-11254_american_i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowled_472060.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/daniel-alarcon-11254_american_i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowled_472060.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a48/daniel-alarcon-11254_american_i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowled_472060.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I do feel fortunate to have some knowledge of the great Latin American writers, including some that are…” — Daniel Alarcon",
                "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": "Daniel Alarcon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I do feel fortunate to have...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowledge-of-the-great-latin/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-do-feel-fortunate-to-have-some-knowledge-of-the-great-latin/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
