Articles Quote by Ross Douthat
“Every young writer, I imagine, has their first intellectual magazine, whose essays and articles are devoured all the more greedily for being slightly over one's head. Mine was First Things.”
About This Quote
Source Magazine: First Things (c. 1990s)
Young writers often cherish a first publication that feels intellectually challenging and rewarding.
In simple terms: First publication feels exciting and demanding.
Key Takeaway
Embrace challenging reading to grow.
Themes
intellectual curiosity
growth
writing
literature
Mood
reflective
inspired
Type
observational
motivational
When to use this quote
- college writing
- early career
- literary criticism
- personal development
Key Concepts
elitism
self‑efficacy
cultural capital
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes a text feel “over your head”?
- How can you balance challenge and accessibility?
A Different Perspective
Such magazines can also alienate readers who feel excluded.
![“I wrote an article about the marine landing [in Haiti] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two months later and I assumed by then, "of course, everybody knows." Nobody knew. There was a news report in the Wall Street Journal, in the petroleum journals, and…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dc5/noam-chomsky-42_articles_i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-land_13341.jpg)
