--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't write to put it in a drawer, I…" description: "\"I don't write to put it in a drawer, I hope that people see it.\" — Paul Beatty" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/paul-beatty-6684_drawer_i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-ho_1862211.png" --- # I don't write to put it in a drawer, I hope that people… ![“I don't write to put it in a drawer, I hope that people see it.” quote by Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/paul-beatty-6684_drawer_i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-ho_1862211.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/paul-beatty-6684_drawer_i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-ho_1862211.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/paul-beatty-6684_drawer_i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-ho_1862211.png) > “I don't write to put it in a drawer, I hope that people see it.” [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing should aim for public impact, not hidden personal storage. **In simple terms:** Write to be seen, not hidden. Key Takeaway Create for audience. Themes expression visibility purpose Mood reflective assertive Type literary motivational When to use this quote - Publishing - social media - public readings Key Concepts Literary activism public discourse Questions to Reflect On - Who is your intended reader? - How do you measure the impact of your work? A Different Perspective Not all writing reaches an audience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The manuscript in the drawer either rots or ripens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/the-manuscript-in-the-drawer-either-rots-or-ripens/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [I'm a horrible drawer. I have no artistic ability in my hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-mcphee/i-m-a-horrible-drawer-i-have-no-artistic-ability-in-my-hands/) [Katharine McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-mcphee/) > [I have been to the world's end and back and now I know what I would put in my bottom drawer .I would put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/i-have-been-to-the-world-s-end-and-back-and-now-i-know-what-i-would/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [Frankly, it's good enough to lock up in a drawer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/frankly-it-s-good-enough-to-lock-up-in-a-drawer/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [My desk drawer is filled with all kinds of prayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/my-desk-drawer-is-filled-with-all-kinds-of-prayers/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [You would open a drawer, which my father had jammed full of newspapers, and the bottom would drop out. There were buttons and screws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-chast/you-would-open-a-drawer-which-my-father-had-jammed-full-of-newspapers/) [Roz Chast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-chast/) > [One said a tooth drawer was a kind of unconscionable trade, because his trade was nothing else but to take away those things whereby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/one-said-a-tooth-drawer-was-a-kind-of-unconscionable-trade-because/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [I had a Spider-man costume when I was about three, and I lost the mask. So I went to the underwear drawer and put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emun-elliott/i-had-a-spider-man-costume-when-i-was-about-three-and-i-lost-the-mask/) [Emun Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emun-elliott/) > [There is a secret drawer in every woman's heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/there-is-a-secret-drawer-in-every-woman-s-heart/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Mother and daughter like spoons in a drawer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/mother-and-daughter-like-spoons-in-a-drawer/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [Toss your dashed hopes not into a trash bin but into a drawer where you are likely to rummage some bright morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/toss-your-dashed-hopes-not-into-a-trash-bin-but-into-a-drawer-where/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [The very act of drawing an object, however badly, swiftly takes the drawer from a woolly sense of what the object looks like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-very-act-of-drawing-an-object-however-badly-swiftly-takes-the/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [I do triage on everything that comes through the door, and if it's not something we need (now, for real-not maybe someday) or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-herman/i-do-triage-on-everything-that-comes-through-the-door-and-if-it-s-not/) Michelle Herman > [ I sometimes try a variance of the drawer trick - \[I write it\] and then come back to it and see if it blows. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-morrison/i-sometimes-try-a-variance-of-the-drawer-trick-i-write-it-and-then/) [Travis Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-morrison/) > [I don't write for any particular kind of person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wesley/i-don-t-write-for-any-particular-kind-of-person/) [Mary Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wesley/) ## More by Paul Beatty > [There are things I don't like, like sitting at the head of the class. It makes me uncomfortable. I'll do it in a seminar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/there-are-things-i-don-t-like-like-sitting-at-the-head-of-the-class/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [In The Sellout I tried to capture how we can talk and see race, how we see urbanity, and how we see our history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/in-the-sellout-i-tried-to-capture-how-we-can-talk-and-see-race-how-we/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [In White Boy Shuffle, I combined my seventh-grade teacher, Mr. Takemoto, who really saved me - I don't think I've ever told anyone this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/in-white-boy-shuffle-i-combined-my-seventh-grade-teacher-mr-takemoto/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [I co-taught a seminar called Small Group Processes with my professor. I learned so much from it, so much about myself, about groups, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-co-taught-a-seminar-called-small-group-processes-with-my-professor/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [ I'll say this, and it'll sound like bullshit, but it's not: I don't really pay attention to this stuff \[Man Booker Prize\] very much.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-ll-say-this-and-it-ll-sound-like-bullshit-but-it-s-not-i-don-t/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [“Hereos. Idols. They're never who you think they are. Shorter. Nastier. Smellier. And when you finally meet them, there's something that makes you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/hereos-idols-they-re-never-who-you-think-they-are-shorter-nastier/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [There are many similarities between Germans and blacks. The nouns themselves are loaded with so much historical baggage it's impossible for anyone to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/there-are-many-similarities-between-germans-and-blacks-the-nouns/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [Like when you have the right title for something you're writing and you get lost - you can always go back to the title…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/like-when-you-have-the-right-title-for-something-you-re-writing-and/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [I had a student once come up to me and we were talking about this incident, and, of course, I never had the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-had-a-student-once-come-up-to-me-and-we-were-talking-about-this/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [ There are always so many things happening \[to us\] at one time. We read Isherwood's A Single Man in class, and we had to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/there-are-always-so-many-things-happening-to-us-at-one-time-we-read/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [I forget how beautiful and calm California is. It's not so much about the place, but also the age that I came to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-forget-how-beautiful-and-calm-california-is-it-s-not-so-much-about/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [“My litmus test of compatibility is 'Tom Cruise.' I hate people who hate Tom Cruise, cultural automatons who at the mention of his name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/my-litmus-test-of-compatibility-is-tom-cruise-i-hate-people-who-hate/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [“Sometimes it's the nihilism that makes life worth living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/sometimes-it-s-the-nihilism-that-makes-life-worth-living/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [I think there's nothing new going on. Except that, you're even more public than you've ever been.There's some good and some bad to that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-think-there-s-nothing-new-going-on-except-that-you-re-even-more/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) > [“Would he read the paper and see that the Union he saved was now a dysfunctional plutocracy,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/would-he-read-the-paper-and-see-that-the-union-he-saved-was-now-a/) [Paul Beatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) [Explore all 98 Paul Beatty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/) ## More Drawer quotes > [I'm still stupid. I still do what I'm not supposed to do. Are you serious? I'm Jake 'The Snake,' man. I never claimed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-roberts/i-m-still-stupid-i-still-do-what-i-m-not-supposed-to-do-are-you/) [Jake Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-roberts/) > [“I've tucked those negative thoughts in a drawer, and for the most part, though I know the drawer still exists, it never gets opened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-martin-beckner/i-ve-tucked-those-negative-thoughts-in-a-drawer-and-for-the-most-part/) [K. Martin Beckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-martin-beckner/) > [ I sometimes try a variance of the drawer trick - \[I write it\] and then come back to it and see if it blows. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-morrison/i-sometimes-try-a-variance-of-the-drawer-trick-i-write-it-and-then/) [Travis Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-morrison/) > [Talking raw papers and long leathers. Nigga, my drawer filled with couture textures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/talking-raw-papers-and-long-leathers-nigga-my-drawer-filled-with/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [I do triage on everything that comes through the door, and if it's not something we need (now, for real-not maybe someday) or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-herman/i-do-triage-on-everything-that-comes-through-the-door-and-if-it-s-not/) Michelle Herman > [In the house, I have a drawer that's just filled with Carmex. It's just my thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-la-anthony/in-the-house-i-have-a-drawer-that-s-just-filled-with-carmex-it-s-just/) [La La Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-la-anthony/) > [My mother was an artist, and I was fairly good at art as a child. I was always the best drawer in class, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-babbitt/my-mother-was-an-artist-and-i-was-fairly-good-at-art-as-a-child-i-was/) [Natalie Babbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-babbitt/) > [“This wasn’t the time or place for it, so I hid it away in a little drawer in the back of my mind, marked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrington/this-wasn-t-the-time-or-place-for-it-so-i-hid-it-away-in-a-little/) [Kim Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrington/) > [I think a lot of playwrights have a script in their bottom drawer that hopefully no one will ever see about a bunch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wade/i-think-a-lot-of-playwrights-have-a-script-in-their-bottom-drawer/) [Laura Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wade/) > [The Pulitzer isn't a physical object. You can't hold it in your hand. You get some money ($7,500 in my day), and you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-pulitzer-isn-t-a-physical-object-you-can-t-hold-it-in-your-hand/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [The very act of drawing an object, however badly, swiftly takes the drawer from a woolly sense of what the object looks like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-very-act-of-drawing-an-object-however-badly-swiftly-takes-the/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [When it comes to underwear, there's nothing worse than a visible panty line. Sometimes it seems like nobody knows that seamless underwear exists. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-goreski/when-it-comes-to-underwear-there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-visible-panty/) [Brad Goreski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-goreski/) > [“Terrific! Have you done Step Three?" He waggled his brows as he opened up the top left drawer of my dresser. "No. Hey! Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-bardsley/terrific-have-you-done-step-three-he-waggled-his-brows-as-he-opened/) [Michele Bardsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-bardsley/) > [If I could be more vague I'd write more about people in my life, but I hate hurting feelings or making people feel uncomfortable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-rose/if-i-could-be-more-vague-i-d-write-more-about-people-in-my-life-but-i/) [Caitlin Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-rose/) > [Toss your dashed hopes not into a trash bin but into a drawer where you are likely to rummage some bright morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/toss-your-dashed-hopes-not-into-a-trash-bin-but-into-a-drawer-where/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) Browse all 58 Drawer quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't write to put it in a drawer, I hope that people see it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Beatty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-hope-that-people-see-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drawer" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-hope-that-people-see-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/paul-beatty-6684_drawer_i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-ho_1862211.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/paul-beatty-6684_drawer_i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-ho_1862211.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/813/paul-beatty-6684_drawer_i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-ho_1862211.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't write to put it in a drawer, I hope that people see it.” — Paul Beatty", "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": "Paul Beatty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-beatty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't write to put it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-hope-that-people-see-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-beatty/i-don-t-write-to-put-it-in-a-drawer-i-hope-that-people-see-it/#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 } } ] } ```