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Art Quote by Fred Kaplan

“He had entered another imaginative world, one connected to the beginning of his life as a writer, to the Napoleonic world that had been a lifelong metaphor for the power of art, for the empire of his own creation He began to dictate notes for a new novel, "fragments of the book he imagines himself…” quote by Fred Kaplan
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““He had entered another imaginative world, one connected to the beginning of his life as a writer, to the Napoleonic world that had been a lifelong metaphor for the power of art, for the empire of his own creation He began to dictate notes for a new novel, "fragments of the book he imagines himself to be writing." As if he were now writing a novel of which his own altered consciousness was the dramatic center, he dictated a vision of himself as Napoleon and his own family as the Imperial Bonapartes…William and Alice he grasped with his regent hand, addressing his 'dear and most esteemed brother and sister.' To them, to whom he had granted countries, he now gave the responsibility of supervising the detailed plans he had created for 'the decoration of certain apartments, here of the Louvre and Tuileries, which you will find addressed in detail to artists and workment who take them in hand.' He was himself the 'imperial eagle.' Taking down the dictation, Theodora [his secretary] felt it to be almost more than she could bear. 'It is a heart-breaking thing to do, though, there is the extraordinary fact that his mind does retain the power to frame perfectly characteristic sentences.””

Fred Kaplan

About This Quote

Source Book: The New Yorker profile of William S. Burroughs, 1995

The writer imagines himself as Napoleon, using historical metaphor to explore artistic power and personal empire.

In simple terms: He likens his creative mind to an emperor shaping his work.

Key Takeaway

Use metaphor to understand creative drive.

Themes

creativity identity historical metaphor

Mood

introspective analytical

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

  • writing
  • self‑reflection
  • creative block

Key Concepts

literary analysis psychology artistic process

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does imagining power influence your art?
  • What historical figures resonate with your creative journey?
A Different Perspective

Metaphor may obscure practical steps.

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