Books Quote by Melissa Febos
“When I was in college I started writing prose, because a very smart professor asked me what I like to read and I said, "Novels," and she said, "You should be writing them then." Memoir never even occurred to me. I think I was afraid of nonfiction and I was afraid of navel-gazing, and of being seen.”
About This Quote
Source Memoir: “The Art of Asking” (interview) or personal essay
A student’s professor encourages her to write novels, but she fears nonfiction and self‑examination, leading to a reluctance to pursue memoir.
In simple terms: Fear of truth stops her from writing personal stories.
Key Takeaway
Embrace honesty in writing to grow.
Themes
creative
identity
fear
Mood
reflective
motivational
Type
literary
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic setting
- writing workshop
- personal development
Key Concepts
self‑examination
authenticity
genre
confidence
Questions to Reflect On
- What truths are you avoiding?
- How could writing memoir empower you?
A Different Perspective
Avoiding nonfiction may limit self‑knowledge.
![“Most books that come out with a comedy label seem to be, Eric [Wareheim] and I could have written, "This is our story, and this is who we are," and sort of this navel-gazing, narcissistic approach to comedy we're seeing these days.” quote by Tim Heidecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/81d/tim-heidecker-10977_approach_most-books-that-come-out-with-a-comedy-l_724157.jpg)
