Footnote Quote by Saul Bellow
““I have always had a weakness for footnotes. For me a clever or a wicked footnote has redeemed many a text. And I see that I am now using a long footnote to open a serious subject - shifting in a quick move to Paris, to a penthouse in the Hotel Crillon. Early June. Breakfast time. The host is my good friend Professor Ravelstein, Abe Ravelstein. My wife and I, also staying at the Crillon, have a room below, on the sixth floor. She is still asleep. The entire floor below ours (this is not absolutely relevant but somehow I can't avoid mentioning it) is occupied just now by Michael Jackson and his entourage. He performs nightly in some vast Parisian auditorium. Very soon his French fans will arrive and a crowd of faces will be turned upward, shouting in unison, 'Miekell Jack-sown'. A police barrier holds the fans back. Inside, from the sixth floor, when you look down the marble stairwell you see Michael's bodyguards. One of them is doing the crossword puzzle in the 'Paris Herald'.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: "The Adventures of Augie March" (fictional footnote style)
A footnote can serve as a narrative device, shifting tone and setting while embedding personal anecdotes and cultural references
In simple terms: Footnotes can change narrative flow and add depth
Key Takeaway
Use footnotes to enrich storytelling and provide contextual layers
Themes
literature
footnotes
meta-narrative
cultural reference
setting
Mood
playful
introspective
Type
literary
creative
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- academic essays
- creative nonfiction
- travel writing
- historical analysis
Key Concepts
storytelling technique
intertextuality
character voice
Questions to Reflect On
- How can footnotes enhance rather than disrupt a narrative?
- When is a footnote appropriate for adding context?
A Different Perspective
Overuse may distract readers or break immersion
