Books Quote by Sergio Chejfec
“When I use a name or place, I want to leave the reader open to the waterfall of determinacy that it may provoke. And I don't know, but I must mention the name Borges. I try to mention it in every one of my works. It's a mark, a stamp, a sort of homage to Argentinidad. But it's an homage that works through pat phrases, those stock images that populate his work: the night, labyrinths, libraries. That is, I don't want simply to pay homage to Borges, but rather the contrary: to recall his commonplaces.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Reflections on Literary Influence, 2010
The author uses Borges as a symbolic reference, invoking his recurring motifs to enrich his own work without direct imitation.
In simple terms: Borges serves as a literary shorthand for mystery and complexity.
Key Takeaway
Use iconic references to evoke deeper layers.
Themes
literary homage
intertextuality
symbolism
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- creative workshops
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
postmodernism
cultural memory
metafiction
Questions to Reflect On
- How does invoking a famous author shape reader expectations?
- When does homage become imitation?
A Different Perspective
Overreliance on homage may eclipse original voice.
![“This book first arose out of a passage in [Jorge Luis] Borges, out of the laughter that shattered, as I read the passage, all the familiar landmarks of my thought—our thought that bears the stamp of our age and our geography—breaking up all the ordered surfaces and all the planes with which we are…” quote by Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a1/michel-foucault-1134_animals_this-book-first-arose-out-of-a-passage-i_571093.jpg)
