Peace Quote by J.D. Salinger
““I think it should be done over, Buddy. …Please make peace with your wit. It's not going to go away, Buddy. To dump it on your own advice would be as bad and unnatural as dumping your adjectives and your adverbs because Prof. B. wants you to. What does he know about it? What do you really know about your own wit? I've been sitting here tearing up notes to you. I keep starting to say things like 'This one is wonderfully constructed,' and 'The conversation between the two cops is terrific.' So I'm hedging. I'm not sure why. I started to get a little nervous right after you began to read. It sounded like the beginning of something your arch-enemy Bob B. calls a rattling good story. Don't you think he would call this a step in the right direction? Doesn't that worry you? Even what is funny about the woman on the back of the truck doesn't sound like something you think is funny. It sounds much more like something that you think is universally considered funny. I feel gypped. Does that make you mad? You can say our relatedness spoils my judgement. It worries me enough. But I'm also just a reader. Are you a writer or just a writer of rattling good stories. I mind getting a rattling good story from you.””
About This Quote
The narrator doubts the value of forced wit and questions the authenticity of criticism, feeling pressured by external expectations.
In simple terms: Uncertainty about using wit and external pressure.
Trust your own voice over imposed standards.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- writing
- editing
- peer review
- creative process
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you write for yourself or for critics?
- How can you balance wit with sincerity?
External feedback can stifle originality if not balanced.