--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Literature, like magic, has always been…" description: "\"“Literature, like magic, has always been about the handling of secrets, about the pain, the destruction, and the marvelous liberation that can result w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c86/michael-chabon-627_books_literature-like-magic-has-always-been-ab_1454838.jpg" --- # Literature, like magic, has always been about the handling… ![“Literature, like magic, has always been about the handling of secrets, about the pain, the destruction, and the marvelous liberation that can result when they are revealed. Telling the truth when the truth matters most is almost always a frightening prospect. If a writer doesn't give away secrets…” quote by Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c86/michael-chabon-627_books_literature-like-magic-has-always-been-ab_1454838.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c86/michael-chabon-627_books_literature-like-magic-has-always-been-ab_1454838.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c86/michael-chabon-627_books_literature-like-magic-has-always-been-ab_1454838.jpg) > ““Literature, like magic, has always been about the handling of secrets, about the pain, the destruction, and the marvelous liberation that can result when they are revealed. Telling the truth when the truth matters most is almost always a frightening prospect. If a writer doesn't give away secrets, his own or those of the people he loves; if she doesn't court disapproval, reproach, and general wrath, whether of friends, family, or party apparatchiks; if the writer submits his work to an internal censor long before anyone else can get their hands on it, the result is pallid, inanimate, a lump of earth.”” [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers must confront hidden truths, risking backlash, to achieve authentic, powerful storytelling; self‑censorship leads to lifeless work. **In simple terms:** Truthful writing is risky but vital. Key Takeaway Write honestly, despite fear. Themes literature truth creativity risk authenticity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type creative philosophical When to use this quote - novel writing - journalism - personal memoir - scriptwriting - academic critique Key Concepts narrative honesty artistic courage censorship Questions to Reflect On - What secrets are you avoiding in your work? - How can fear be transformed into artistic strength? A Different Perspective Avoiding truth makes art dull and uninspired. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Handling Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/handling-secrets-3940246/) [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Revealed Telling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revealed-telling-3735779/) [Revelation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revelation/) [Secrets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrets/) [Self revelation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-revelation/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Telling truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Truth Matters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-matters-252633/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Literature, like magic, has always been about the handling of secrets, about the pain, the destruction, and the marvelous liberation that can result when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/literature-like-magic-has-always-been-about-the-handling-of-secrets/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Story is revealed not in telling, but in listening.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-haake/story-is-revealed-not-in-telling-but-in-listening/) [Katharine Haake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-haake/) > [Telling the truth matters. Especially at a college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-harbaugh/telling-the-truth-matters-especially-at-a-college/) [Jim Harbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-harbaugh/) > [“The call to faith, in this light, is not some test of a coy god, waiting to see if we "get it right." It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terryl-l-givens/the-call-to-faith-in-this-light-is-not-some-test-of-a-coy-god-waiting/) [Terryl L. Givens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terryl-l-givens/) > [“Don't wait for the law of attraction to happen to you; make it happen for you, by taking action. Once you do this, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-f-glassman/don-t-wait-for-the-law-of-attraction-to-happen-to-you-make-it-happen/) [Charles F. Glassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-f-glassman/) > [The greatest act of self-revelation occurs when we choose what we will believe, in that space of freedom that exists between knowing that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-act-of-self-revelation-occurs-when-we-choose-what-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sincerity is a Christian virtue, as is honesty about our struggles. But my generation needs to realize that Christianity is more than chic fragility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-deyoung/sincerity-is-a-christian-virtue-as-is-honesty-about-our-struggles-but/) [Kevin DeYoung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-deyoung/) > [The traditional gender ideals of the strong-silent man who plays his cards close to his chest and the mysterious woman who disguises her feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-keen/the-traditional-gender-ideals-of-the-strong-silent-man-who-plays-his/) [Sam Keen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-keen/) > [You know, I think everybody I've seen has come from some other therapy, and almost invariably it's very much the same thing: the therapist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvin-d-yalom/you-know-i-think-everybody-i-ve-seen-has-come-from-some-other-therapy/) [Irvin D. Yalom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvin-d-yalom/) > [It is in their 'good' characters that novelists make, unawares, the most shocking self- revelations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/it-is-in-their-good-characters-that-novelists-make-unawares-the-most/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I've never been much for self-revelation. In two decades of public life, I always approached the limelight with extreme caution. Not that I kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcgreevey/i-ve-never-been-much-for-self-revelation-in-two-decades-of-public/) [James McGreevey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcgreevey/) > [The value of the Old Testament may be dependant on what seems its imperfection. It may repel one use in order that we may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/the-value-of-the-old-testament-may-be-dependant-on-what-seems-its/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [In anthropology, which historically exists to 'give voice' to others, there is no greater taboo than self-revelation. The impetus of our discipline, with its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-behar/in-anthropology-which-historically-exists-to-give-voice-to-others/) [Ruth Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-behar/) > [The transformation of silence into language and action is an act of self-revelation .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/the-transformation-of-silence-into-language-and-action-is-an-act-of/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [ For a justice of this ultimate tribunal \[the U.S. Supreme Court\], the opportunity for self-discovery and the occasion for self-revelation is great. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abe-fortas/for-a-justice-of-this-ultimate-tribunal-the-u-s-supreme-court-the/) [Abe Fortas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abe-fortas/) ## More by Michael Chabon > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Anyway, it's a pretty good story," I said. "You have to admit." "Yeah?" He crumpled up the Kleenex, having dispatched the solitary tear. "You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/anyway-it-s-a-pretty-good-story-i-said-you-have-to-admit-yeah-he/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [There were so many Pittsburgh poets in my hallway that if, at that instant, a meteorite had come smashing through my roof, there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/there-were-so-many-pittsburgh-poets-in-my-hallway-that-if-at-that/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Badass.'" My grandfather sampled the flavor of the word. It did not seem to revolt him, but it was nothing he needed ever to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/badass-my-grandfather-sampled-the-flavor-of-the-word-it-did-not-seem/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [See you in the funny papers," he said. Jaunty, he reminded himself; always jaunty. In my panache is their hope for salvation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/see-you-in-the-funny-papers-he-said-jaunty-he-reminded-himself-always/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“I didn't want to be left alone with Timothy, not because I was afraid of him but because I was afraid that somebody would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/i-didn-t-want-to-be-left-alone-with-timothy-not-because-i-was-afraid/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“He had already seized this particular day once, but he was prepared, if need be, to go ahead and seize the motherfucker all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/he-had-already-seized-this-particular-day-once-but-he-was-prepared-if/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“We figure he must have let him out. The perpetrator, I mean. He's blind and we figure he just wandered off and maybe got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/we-figure-he-must-have-let-him-out-the-perpetrator-i-mean-he-s-blind/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Then I reminded myself that I was always willing to listen to arguments in favor of avoiding an unpleasant chore, and I shook my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/then-i-reminded-myself-that-i-was-always-willing-to-listen-to/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Love great first lines and paragraphs. From The Yiddish Policemen's Union: Nine months Landsman's been flopping at the Hotel Zamenhof without any of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/love-great-first-lines-and-paragraphs-from-the-yiddish-policemen-s/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“Life blew in gusts from the hole in the side of the elephant with a rank smell and a comic flatulence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/life-blew-in-gusts-from-the-hole-in-the-side-of-the-elephant-with-a/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Not only would I never want to belong to any club that would have me for a member--if elected I would wear street shoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/not-only-would-i-never-want-to-belong-to-any-club-that-would-have-me/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [That's the best thing about writing, when you're in that zone, you're porous, ready to absorb the solution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/that-s-the-best-thing-about-writing-when-you-re-in-that-zone-you-re/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [Most science fiction seemed to be written for people who already liked science fiction; I wanted to write stories for anyone, anywhere, living at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/most-science-fiction-seemed-to-be-written-for-people-who-already/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [ “For as long as I could remember, I'd been making vague and confident assurances that any day I would finish the thing \[my book\].… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/for-as-long-as-i-could-remember-i-d-been-making-vague-and-confident/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) [Explore all 436 Michael Chabon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Literature, like magic, has always been about the handling of secrets, about the pain, the destruction, and the marvelous liberation that can result when they are revealed. Telling the truth when the truth matters most is almost always a frightening prospect. If a writer doesn't give away secrets, his own or those of the people he loves; if she doesn't court disapproval, reproach, and general wrath, whether of friends, family, or party apparatchiks; if the writer submits his work to an internal censor long before anyone else can get their hands on it, the result is pallid, inanimate, a lump of earth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Chabon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/literature-like-magic-has-always-been-about-the-handling-of-secrets-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/literature-like-magic-has-always-been-about-the-handling-of-secrets-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c86/michael-chabon-627_books_literature-like-magic-has-always-been-ab_1454838.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c86/michael-chabon-627_books_literature-like-magic-has-always-been-ab_1454838.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c86/michael-chabon-627_books_literature-like-magic-has-always-been-ab_1454838.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Literature, like magic, has always been about the handling of secrets, about the pain, the destruction, and…” — Michael Chabon", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Chabon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Literature, like magic, has always been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/literature-like-magic-has-always-been-about-the-handling-of-secrets-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/literature-like-magic-has-always-been-about-the-handling-of-secrets-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```