--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's this great Ron Carlson story, \"A…" description: "\"There's this great Ron Carlson story, \"A Note on the Type,\" and it's about this guy who keeps escaping from prison. He's really good at escaping, but h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/pam-houston-11232_beautiful_there-s-this-great-ron-carlson-story-a-n_1906013.jpg" --- # There's this great Ron Carlson story, "A Note on the… ![“There's this great Ron Carlson story, "A Note on the Type," and it's about this guy who keeps escaping from prison. He's really good at escaping, but he gets caught all the time, because he can't stop writing his name on underpasses where he's running from the law. And there's this whole beautiful…” quote by Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/pam-houston-11232_beautiful_there-s-this-great-ron-carlson-story-a-n_1906013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/pam-houston-11232_beautiful_there-s-this-great-ron-carlson-story-a-n_1906013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/pam-houston-11232_beautiful_there-s-this-great-ron-carlson-story-a-n_1906013.jpg) > “There's this great Ron Carlson story, "A Note on the Type," and it's about this guy who keeps escaping from prison. He's really good at escaping, but he gets caught all the time, because he can't stop writing his name on underpasses where he's running from the law. And there's this whole beautiful paragraph about how to run is to write. And, you know, it's obviously about the writer's life.” [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights a writer's compulsion to leave a mark, using escape as metaphor for creative drive. **In simple terms:** Writers feel compelled to leave traces even when fleeing. Key Takeaway Balance creative expression with practical concerns. Themes creativity identity escape obsession writing Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - authorial process - personal branding - public art - legal boundaries Key Concepts self‑expression legacy addiction Questions to Reflect On - How does your work leave a lasting imprint? - When does self‑promotion become harmful? A Different Perspective Risk of self‑sabotage by over‑exposure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carlson/) [Caught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caught/) [Escaping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escaping/) [Escaping Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/escaping-prison-2841761/) [Good Escaping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-escaping-2841763/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Names](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/names/) [Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes/) [Paragraph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paragraph/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Note](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-note-2841762/) [This guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/this-guy/) [Type](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/type/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writer Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-life-316402/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The first rule for escaping prison in the United States is always having someone more important than yourself to incriminate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-rule-for-escaping-prison-in-the-united-states-is-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The writer's business is to find the shape in unruly life and to serve her story. Not, you may note, to serve her family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/the-writer-s-business-is-to-find-the-shape-in-unruly-life-and-to/) [Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/) > [ \[ Tucker Carlson\] thought that was the paramount example of discrimination and bigotry and all of these buzzwords these people use. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/tucker-carlson-thought-that-was-the-paramount-example-of/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [No matter what Tucker Carlson tried - no matter what logic, the law, no matter what he tried - he could not disabuse this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/no-matter-what-tucker-carlson-tried-no-matter-what-logic-the-law-no/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Want to discover the truth about deception in therapy? Jeffrey Kottler and Jon Carlson have collected a formable collection of old pros whose compelling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-k-zeig/want-to-discover-the-truth-about-deception-in-therapy-jeffrey-kottler/) [Jeffrey K. Zeig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-k-zeig/) > [Since the death of Nikola Tesla in 1943, his life has deserved a worthy biography. Bernard Carlson has delivered that in Tesla: Inventor of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rosenberg/since-the-death-of-nikola-tesla-in-1943-his-life-has-deserved-a/) [Robert Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rosenberg/) > [ I'd want her \[Gretchen Carlson\] to do what makes her happy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-d-want-her-gretchen-carlson-to-do-what-makes-her-happy/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [To Tom Carlson or his dog-depending on whose taste it best suits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogden-nash/to-tom-carlson-or-his-dog-depending-on-whose-taste-it-best-suits/) [Ogden Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogden-nash/) > [I forget what his name was, but Tucker Carlson said, "Well, look, do you think that anybody who wants to come into the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-forget-what-his-name-was-but-tucker-carlson-said-well-look-do-you/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Tucker Carlson has the new seven p.m. show on Fox and right now it may be the most interesting and engaging show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/tucker-carlson-has-the-new-seven-p-m-show-on-fox-and-right-now-it-may/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [There's a lot of people that I disagree with that I think I could have interesting conversations with. What I don't want to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/there-s-a-lot-of-people-that-i-disagree-with-that-i-think-i-could/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [“Life gives us struggles first and reward later. And as a writer my life's purpose is to write and tell stories. Some people encourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/life-gives-us-struggles-first-and-reward-later-and-as-a-writer-my/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“The writer’s life requires courage, patience, empathy, openness. It requires the ability to be alone with oneself. Gentle with oneself. To be disciplined, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-shapiro/the-writer-s-life-requires-courage-patience-empathy-openness-it/) [Dani Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-shapiro/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“I had been a writer all of my life, every waking second, and now that part of my life was over. I suppose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-greer/i-had-been-a-writer-all-of-my-life-every-waking-second-and-now-that/) [Bonnie Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-greer/) ## More by Pam Houston > [Give me a labyrinth to walk and I can usually free my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/give-me-a-labyrinth-to-walk-and-i-can-usually-free-my-mind/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [When a book is in its final stages, I've just got to be home, looking at it seventeen hours a day, and that's fine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/when-a-book-is-in-its-final-stages-i-ve-just-got-to-be-home-looking/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I've been to a lot of school and read a lot of thick books, but at my very core there's a made-for-TV-movie mentality I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-ve-been-to-a-lot-of-school-and-read-a-lot-of-thick-books-but-at-my/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Life gives us what we need when we need it; receiving what it gives us is a whole other thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/life-gives-us-what-we-need-when-we-need-it-receiving-what-it-gives-us/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Cheryl Strayed is a courageous, gritty, and deceptively elegant writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/cheryl-strayed-is-a-courageous-gritty-and-deceptively-elegant-writer/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Sometimes no matter how well you prepare, no matter how conservative your decision making, no matter how few Y chromosomes are along on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/sometimes-no-matter-how-well-you-prepare-no-matter-how-conservative/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Stillness is a harder concept for me than ecstasy, but I can imagine it best when I am fully present and paying strict attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/stillness-is-a-harder-concept-for-me-than-ecstasy-but-i-can-imagine/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“I still don't see how it would make me feel any better to think of the pain in my hip and spine as anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-still-don-t-see-how-it-would-make-me-feel-any-better-to-think-of/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [My parents were travelers. Every time my parents got ten dollars ahead they went somewhere. That's what they did. So I got the bug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/my-parents-were-travelers-every-time-my-parents-got-ten-dollars-ahead/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“Find yourself a place in the universe,' she said, 'a place where the dirt feels like goodness under your feet. Take the right picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/find-yourself-a-place-in-the-universe-she-said-a-place-where-the-dirt/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I'm always out looking for weird, beautiful things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-m-always-out-looking-for-weird-beautiful-things/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I always think, when I'm in motion, writing seems like the most natural thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-always-think-when-i-m-in-motion-writing-seems-like-the-most-natural/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [I'm about going out in the world and noticing stuff, and going home and writing it down, and putting it next to other stuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/i-m-about-going-out-in-the-world-and-noticing-stuff-and-going-home/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [“And even though I knew in my head there’s nothing a man can do that a woman can’t, I also knew in my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/and-even-though-i-knew-in-my-head-there-s-nothing-a-man-can-do-that-a/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) > [Traveling is my priority, because it drives the writing, so I teach around the travel, and sometimes the travel is the teaching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-houston/traveling-is-my-priority-because-it-drives-the-writing-so-i-teach/) [Pam Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) [Explore all 61 Pam Houston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-houston/) ## More Beautiful quotes > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) > [Being beautiful comes naturally!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-beautiful-comes-naturally/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [“do not misunderstand person by beauty You really do not know its real or Mask on dirty thoughts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-zaki-ansari/do-not-misunderstand-person-by-beauty-you-really-do-not-know-its-real/) [Mohammed Zaki Ansari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-zaki-ansari/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Call her beautiful a million times and she won't believe you. Call her ugly once, and she will never forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tumblr/call-her-beautiful-a-million-times-and-she-won-t-believe-you-call-her/) [Tumblr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tumblr/) > [You will never know just how beautiful you are to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-know-just-how-beautiful-you-are-to-me/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You felt a deep sorrow, the kind of melancholy you feel when you're in a beautiful place and the sun is going down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thrity-umrigar/you-felt-a-deep-sorrow-the-kind-of-melancholy-you-feel-when-you-re-in/) [Thrity Umrigar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thrity-umrigar/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [You're beautiful, cute, pretty, gorgeous, and fuck.. I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [Growing up in Iceland, it was very beautiful, very safe, but quite isolated. There was something about jazz music that had a way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/growing-up-in-iceland-it-was-very-beautiful-very-safe-but-quite/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [How could you feel worthless when God has honoured you by creating you and choosing you to be with Him, in this life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/how-could-you-feel-worthless-when-god-has-honoured-you-by-creating/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [God's Word does provide life lessons to teach us how to live. And it gives us beautiful poetry that gives voice to our human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-rothschild/god-s-word-does-provide-life-lessons-to-teach-us-how-to-live-and-it/) [Jennifer Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-rothschild/) [Browse all 17,976 Beautiful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's this great Ron Carlson story, \"A Note on the Type,\" and it's about this guy who keeps escaping from prison. He's really good at escaping, but he gets caught all the time, because he can't stop writing his name on underpasses where he's running from the law. And there's this whole beautiful paragraph about how to run is to write. 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