Old friends Quote by Don DeLillo
““He looked at a picture on the wall and saw everything that existed outside the room he was sitting in and the one he was trying to write about. It was a picture of fishing nets stowed in canvas baskets and it had sex, memories, cravings, names of old friends, principal rivers of the world. Writing was bad for the soul when you got right down to it. It protected your worst tendencies. Narrowed everything to failure and its devastations. Gave your cunning an edge of treachery and your jellyfish heart a reason to fall deeper into silence.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: “White Noise”, 1985
Creative work can trap the mind, turning imagination into a cage that amplifies anxieties and moral compromises.
In simple terms: Writing can imprison the soul.
Key Takeaway
Balance creativity with self‑care.
Themes
creativity
isolation
artistic struggle
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- authoring a novel
- drafting a screenplay
- journal writing
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you keep imagination healthy?
- What boundaries protect you from artistic despair?
A Different Perspective
Risk of self‑criticism and burnout.
