Books Quote by Dorothy Allison
““Everything I know, everything I put in my fiction, will hurt someone somewhere as surely as it will comfort and enlighten someone else. What then is my responsibility? What am I to restrain? What am I to fear and alter--my own nakedness or the grief of the reader? I want my stories to be so good they are unforgettable; to make my ideas live and my own terrors real for people I will never meet. It is a completely amoral writer's lust. If we begin to agree that some ideas are too dangerous, too bad to invite inside our heads, then we stop the storyteller completely. We silence everyone who would tell us something that might be painful in our vulnerable moments.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The Guardian, 2010
Writers must balance artistic honesty with the impact on readers, recognizing both harm and comfort in their work.
In simple terms: Balancing truth and effect in storytelling.
Key Takeaway
Consider consequences, stay authentic.
Themes
responsibility
art
ethics
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- publishing
- creative writing
- public discourse
- reader impact
Key Concepts
authorial intent
moral dilemma
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you gauge the ethical line?
- Can art be both truthful and safe?
A Different Perspective
Unclear how to measure harm versus benefit.
