--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Written with passion, honesty, humor, and…" description: "\"Written with passion, honesty, humor, and a stubborn, rebellious optimism, Dear Marcus is like nothing I've ever read. When a bullet in the back told J..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/939/shalom-auslander-16035_bullets_written-with-passion-honesty-humor-and-a_2361260.jpg" --- # Written with passion, honesty, humor, and a stubborn… ![“Written with passion, honesty, humor, and a stubborn, rebellious optimism, Dear Marcus is like nothing I've ever read. When a bullet in the back told Jerry McGill not to go on, Jerry went on-smiling.” quote by Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/939/shalom-auslander-16035_bullets_written-with-passion-honesty-humor-and-a_2361260.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/939/shalom-auslander-16035_bullets_written-with-passion-honesty-humor-and-a_2361260.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/939/shalom-auslander-16035_bullets_written-with-passion-honesty-humor-and-a_2361260.jpg) > “Written with passion, honesty, humor, and a stubborn, rebellious optimism, Dear Marcus is like nothing I've ever read. When a bullet in the back told Jerry McGill not to go on, Jerry went on-smiling.” [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A work that blends humor, honesty, and rebellious optimism to offer a fresh, heartfelt perspective on life and love. **In simple terms:** A unique, heartfelt, and optimistic book. Key Takeaway Embrace honesty and humor. Themes humor optimism authenticity rebellion writing Mood hopeful reflective inspirational Type literary personal development inspirational When to use this quote - reading for inspiration - discussing literature - writing workshops - personal reflection - overcoming adversity Key Concepts Narrative voice personal growth resilience Questions to Reflect On - What does rebellious optimism mean to you? - How can humor aid honesty? A Different Perspective May not resonate with those preferring conventional narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Honesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Optimism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/optimism/) [Passion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passion/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Only when a book is written out of passion is there much hope of its being read with passion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-fritz/only-when-a-book-is-written-out-of-passion-is-there-much-hope-of-its/) [Jean Fritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-fritz/) > [Whatever you go into, you have to go in there to be the best. There's no formulas. It's all about passion and honesty and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-masekela/whatever-you-go-into-you-have-to-go-in-there-to-be-the-best-there-s/) [Hugh Masekela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-masekela/) > [She mailed me a Merry Christmas-I'm-Breaking-Up-with-You card. I'll read it to you," he said. He cleared his throat. "Dear Marcus. Merry Christmas. I'm breaking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-mccafferty/she-mailed-me-a-merry-christmas-i-m-breaking-up-with-you-card-i-ll/) [Megan McCafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-mccafferty/) > [“You all know and lived the 'secrets' to De La Salle's success-love, brotherhood, sacrifice, discipline, heart, courage, passion, honesty. These are not just 'catch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-hayes/you-all-know-and-lived-the-secrets-to-de-la-salle-s-success-love/) [Neil Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-hayes/) > [“My dear," Marcus said, "you are supposed to soothe the beast until you get the cage on him, not tease him into a rage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-w-hill/my-dear-marcus-said-you-are-supposed-to-soothe-the-beast-until-you/) [Joey W. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-w-hill/) > [ I know Jerry \[Falwell\] fairly well, and he's probably not bright enough to recognize all of the implications of what he said. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/i-know-jerry-falwell-fairly-well-and-he-s-probably-not-bright-enough/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [“I just nod. There's really not much you can say when Jerry takes his own name in vain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-browne/i-just-nod-there-s-really-not-much-you-can-say-when-jerry-takes-his/) [S.G. Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-browne/) > [And then I met Jerry and he's such a creative fiction writer, and I don't know if there's ever been a team put together…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/and-then-i-met-jerry-and-he-s-such-a-creative-fiction-writer-and-i/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [Liberals compare Jerry Falwell to the Taliban, but then are furious with George Bush for not being Jesus Christ. Evidently, what a president is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/liberals-compare-jerry-falwell-to-the-taliban-but-then-are-furious/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Jerry Garcia was one of the original American icons. He played naturally and beautifully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ornette-coleman/jerry-garcia-was-one-of-the-original-american-icons-he-played/) [Ornette Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ornette-coleman/) > [I pick my feature film battles very carefully. They're going to be personal and they're going to take a lot of my energy. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/i-pick-my-feature-film-battles-very-carefully-they-re-going-to-be/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [Oh, Jerry, don't let's ask for the moonwe have the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/oh-jerry-don-t-let-s-ask-for-the-moonwe-have-the-stars/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When Jerry Lewis and I were big, we used to go to parties, and everybody thought I was big-headed and stuck up, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/when-jerry-lewis-and-i-were-big-we-used-to-go-to-parties-and/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [I wouldn't call myself a standup in the presence of Jerry Seinfeld or Chris Rock, but I do my share of it and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-thicke/i-wouldn-t-call-myself-a-standup-in-the-presence-of-jerry-seinfeld-or/) [Alan Thicke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-thicke/) > [I was very keen on people like Elvis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Gene Vincent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-trower/i-was-very-keen-on-people-like-elvis-carl-perkins-jerry-lee-lewis-and/) [Robin Trower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-trower/) ## More by Shalom Auslander > [“Every Jew was the last Jew; Tevye the Terminal, every single one. Yet, Kugel couldn't help but observe, in all that time - no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/every-jew-was-the-last-jew-tevye-the-terminal-every-single-one-yet/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [“I spent the best years of my life atoning for something I didn't do, something my parents didn't do, something done just about before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/i-spent-the-best-years-of-my-life-atoning-for-something-i-didn-t-do/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [“The Kugels, Kugel hated to admit, might just have to, in the event of genocide, rely on the kindness of strangers. Mother used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/the-kugels-kugel-hated-to-admit-might-just-have-to-in-the-event-of/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [Vans are the vehicles of murderers. Serial Killers. Rapists. Thieves. 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It would have been one thing to protect Anne Frank from the Nazis; he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/he-could-pull-this-off-he-was-sure-of-it-it-would-have-been-one-thing/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [“He took the diary from Mother's hand and turned it over. The heartbreaking something, he read, of a tragic whatever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/he-took-the-diary-from-mother-s-hand-and-turned-it-over-the/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [Write something dangerous. Say something you shouldn’t. Blow something up. But well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/write-something-dangerous-say-something-you-shouldn-t-blow-something/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [His intelligence only exacerbated the guilt Kugel felt for bringing him into the world. 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Hoping there won't be only makes it worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/there-is-hurt-in-this-world-there-is-pain-hoping-there-won-t-be-only/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [“… It was the knowing that there had been a happier time, a place of joy and peace and security, that made the sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/it-was-the-knowing-that-there-had-been-a-happier-time-a-place-of-joy/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [...the greatest source of misery in the world, the greatest cause of anguish and hatred and sadness and death, was neither disease nor race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/the-greatest-source-of-misery-in-the-world-the-greatest-cause-of/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) > [“Remember your grandfather's last words, Jonah would tell his children: Life is nothing more than a little why.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shalom-auslander/remember-your-grandfather-s-last-words-jonah-would-tell-his-children/) [Shalom Auslander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) [Explore all 39 Shalom Auslander quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shalom-auslander/) ## More Bullets quotes > [There is no silver bullet. 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