---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: magical realism? Aren’t we all making…"
description: "\"“magical realism? Aren’t we all making shit up,”\" — Sherman Alexie"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/sherman-alexie-444_magical_magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shi_1378953.png"
---

#  magical realism? Aren’t we all making shit up,

![“magical realism? Aren’t we all making shit up,” quote by Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/sherman-alexie-444_magical_magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shi_1378953.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/sherman-alexie-444_magical_magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shi_1378953.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/sherman-alexie-444_magical_magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shi_1378953.png)

> ““magical realism? Aren’t we all making shit up,””

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Magical realism blurs fact and fiction, suggesting all narratives are constructed.

**In simple terms:** Stories blend truth and imagination.

Key Takeaway

Question the reality of your own narratives.

Themes

creativity truth fiction perspective

Mood

playful critical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- writing workshops
- art critiques
- personal storytelling

Key Concepts

literature philosophy postmodernism

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you create your own myths?
- Where do you draw the line between fact and fiction?

A Different Perspective

Not all imagined worlds are harmless escapism.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Magical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magical/) [Magical realism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magical-realism/) [Realism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realism/)

## Related quotes

> [Magical realism as a declaration in the text is usually when someone can't speak and then they must be magically reinvigorated in some way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-d-aguiar/magical-realism-as-a-declaration-in-the-text-is-usually-when-someone/)

[Fred D'Aguiar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-d-aguiar/)

> [I gravitate much more toward realism, realism in the work that I do, but magical realism got me hooked on film. I think it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-morrison/i-gravitate-much-more-toward-realism-realism-in-the-work-that-i-do/)

[Rachel Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-morrison/)

> [At the end of the day, it's about the reader's attachment to and belief in the magical elements that make or break magical realism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/at-the-end-of-the-day-it-s-about-the-reader-s-attachment-to-and/)

[Tea Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/)

> [I've always wanted to do pieces that have an integral sense of realism and aren't just there for titillation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-weston-jones/i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-pieces-that-have-an-integral-sense-of/)

[Tom Weston-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-weston-jones/)

> [“I just want you to know that most of the time, I have absolutely no fucking clue what I'm doing. I just happen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-krumbine/i-just-want-you-to-know-that-most-of-the-time-i-have-absolutely-no/)

[Jordan Krumbine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-krumbine/)

> [“I am usually at my most brutally forthright when making shit up. That's the paradox of me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitl-n-r-kiernan/i-am-usually-at-my-most-brutally-forthright-when-making-shit-up-that/)

[Caitlín R. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitl-n-r-kiernan/)

> [I think being raised within a Mexican Catholic family made magical realism a very natural part of who I am as a person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-olivas/i-think-being-raised-within-a-mexican-catholic-family-made-magical/)

[Daniel Olivas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-olivas/)

> [Obviously all religions get corrupted by man. The initial ideas are interesting but once they get organized they seem to become about politics and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-dillon/obviously-all-religions-get-corrupted-by-man-the-initial-ideas-are/)

[Matt Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dillon/)

> [“The world is entirely magical, the only illusion is that it isn't...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-andal/the-world-is-entirely-magical-the-only-illusion-is-that-it-isn-t/)

Lydia Andal

> [I think that it's important to try to keep reality. I think that Gabriel Garcia Marquez speaks a lot about reality in his magical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/i-think-that-it-s-important-to-try-to-keep-reality-i-think-that/)

[Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/)

> [Like Woody Allen actually does this a lot in his movies, its kind of called magical realism where he has just kind of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hale/like-woody-allen-actually-does-this-a-lot-in-his-movies-its-kind-of/)

[Tony Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hale/)

> [Magical realism allows an artist like myself to inject layers of meaning without being obvious. In American culture, where there is freedom of expression,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirin-neshat/magical-realism-allows-an-artist-like-myself-to-inject-layers-of/)

[Shirin Neshat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirin-neshat/)

> [Set your fantasies in the here and now and then, if challenged, claim to be writing Magical Realism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/set-your-fantasies-in-the-here-and-now-and-then-if-challenged-claim/)

[Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/)

> [“And ready to seizure at any moment. But still useful, and maybe even a little bit beautiful and sacred and magical.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/and-ready-to-seizure-at-any-moment-but-still-useful-and-maybe-even-a/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“I no longer feel the need to see and sense more than I've already experienced. I just want so desperately to hang on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/i-no-longer-feel-the-need-to-see-and-sense-more-than-i-ve-already/)

[Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/)

## More by Sherman Alexie

> [“He says the earth is an oval marble that nobody can win. He says the sky is not blue and the grass is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/he-says-the-earth-is-an-oval-marble-that-nobody-can-win-he-says-the/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“Now, in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated. Epileptics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/now-in-the-old-days-indians-used-to-be-forgiving-of-any-kind-of/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [Since Jesus was human then he most assuredly farted and burped. And if God did create us in God's image then God must fart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/since-jesus-was-human-then-he-most-assuredly-farted-and-burped-and-if/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“A century ago she might have been beautiful, her face reflected in the river instead of a mirror. But all the years have changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/a-century-ago-she-might-have-been-beautiful-her-face-reflected-in-the/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“In all those stories, I could fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/in-all-those-stories-i-could-fly/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [I don't think there's a whole lot of class literature at all. I think most of that has become racially based, and people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-whole-lot-of-class-literature-at-all-i-think/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [She wanted to be buried in a coffin filled with used paperbacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/she-wanted-to-be-buried-in-a-coffin-filled-with-used-paperbacks/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“Is there really a difference between that killing and this killing? Does God approve of some killing and not other killing? If I kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/is-there-really-a-difference-between-that-killing-and-this-killing/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“Son, things have never been like how you think they used to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/son-things-have-never-been-like-how-you-think-they-used-to-be/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [My parents banned nothing, though the Christian fundamentalists in my tribe held book-and-record burnings every now and again. So, yes, fundamentalist assholes can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/my-parents-banned-nothing-though-the-christian-fundamentalists-in-my/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“Or maybe I could have anesthetized myself with homework and extra credit and binge-reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/or-maybe-i-could-have-anesthetized-myself-with-homework-and-extra/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“Dear wife, I'm sorry that I am mysteriously incapable of folding clean laundry, but I iron, oh, I iron. Sweetheart, I'll make your white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/dear-wife-i-m-sorry-that-i-am-mysteriously-incapable-of-folding-clean/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“Gordy,” I said. “I need to talk to you." "I don't have time," he said. "Mr. Orcutt and I have to debug some PCs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/gordy-i-said-i-need-to-talk-to-you-i-don-t-have-time-he-said-mr/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [“The United States wants all of us to forget the crimes it committed against the indigenous. The United States wants us to forget. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/the-united-states-wants-all-of-us-to-forget-the-crimes-it-committed/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

> [I think that white women are more apt to read laterally. So I think there's some strong identification for women, and their political and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-think-that-white-women-are-more-apt-to-read-laterally-so-i-think/)

[Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

[Explore all 546 Sherman Alexie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/)

## More Magical quotes

> [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/)

[Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/)

> [“Metal makes everything magical. Just ask a unicorn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sybrina-durant/metal-makes-everything-magical-just-ask-a-unicorn/)

[Sybrina Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sybrina-durant/)

> [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/)

[Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/)

> [“Haunted by the longing to feel something real, deep and magical; I searched for a shared ecstasy... that's when you came along.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/haunted-by-the-longing-to-feel-something-real-deep-and-magical-i/)

[Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/)

> [“Humans are naturally scared and confused beings. They not only fear the unknown, as they live fearing themselves... ☥”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-marques/humans-are-naturally-scared-and-confused-beings-they-not-only-fear/)

[Luis Marques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-marques/)

> [Medicine is magical and magical is art, the boy in the bubble, and the baby with the baboon heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/medicine-is-magical-and-magical-is-art-the-boy-in-the-bubble-and-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [I think being raised within a Mexican Catholic family made magical realism a very natural part of who I am as a person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-olivas/i-think-being-raised-within-a-mexican-catholic-family-made-magical/)

[Daniel Olivas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-olivas/)

> [“To have endured horrors, to have seen the worst of humanity and have your life made unrecognizable by it, to come out of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/to-have-endured-horrors-to-have-seen-the-worst-of-humanity-and-have/)

[Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/)

> [“A great magician is not more magical than other magicians; he is just more magical in his presentation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/a-great-magician-is-not-more-magical-than-other-magicians-he-is-just/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [“Everyone who lived in high-up, magical places must feel the same way. You come down into the world and you mingle, but all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjum-hasan/everyone-who-lived-in-high-up-magical-places-must-feel-the-same-way/)

Arjum Hasan

> [I believe I'm a unicorn. Unicorns are very magical and powerful and strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justine-skye/i-believe-i-m-a-unicorn-unicorns-are-very-magical-and-powerful-and/)

[Justine Skye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justine-skye/)

> [I have always loved to read, and now that I have penned 10 novels and a few magazine articles, I have fallen seriously in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothea-benton-frank/i-have-always-loved-to-read-and-now-that-i-have-penned-10-novels-and/)

[Dorothea Benton Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothea-benton-frank/)

> [“I am a M.A.G.I.C. child.. Motivated And Growing In Christ! …I hope you too are a M.A.G.I.C. dreamer!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/i-am-a-m-a-g-i-c-child-motivated-and-growing-in-christ-i-hope-you-too/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [I think it's always so magical when there's some sort of thing like that where an artist contributes musically, but also has a role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/i-think-it-s-always-so-magical-when-there-s-some-sort-of-thing-like/)

[Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/)

> [“You, instinctively, as a girl, have very, uh, strange, supernatural, magical powers that we don't understand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-eastham/you-instinctively-as-a-girl-have-very-uh-strange-supernatural-magical/)

[Chad Eastham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-eastham/)

[Browse all 897 Magical quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magical/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“magical realism? Aren’t we all making shit up,”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sherman Alexie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shit-up/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Magical"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shit-up/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/sherman-alexie-444_magical_magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shi_1378953.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/sherman-alexie-444_magical_magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shi_1378953.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f9/sherman-alexie-444_magical_magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shi_1378953.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“magical realism? Aren’t we all making shit up,” — Sherman Alexie",
                "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": "Sherman Alexie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“magical realism? Aren’t we all making...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shit-up/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/magical-realism-aren-t-we-all-making-shit-up/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```