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Lydia Davis Quotes

I first read ‘Madame Bovary’ in my teens or early twenties Picture Quote #1

Work hard and meticulously. When in trouble, look closely at a text that is a good example of what you’re trying to do. And be patient Picture Quote #1

I never dream in French, but certain French words seem better or more fun than English words - like ‘pois chiches’ for chick peas! Picture Quote #1

When I’m trying a new form- trying to do something I’m not used to doing, which was true of the novel Picture Quote #1

Because I’m not writing all the time (thank goodness), my mind is sometimes pleasantly blank Picture Quote #1

Even though I believe a superlative translation can achieve timelessness, that doesn’t mean I think other translators shouldn’t attempt other versions. The more the better, in the end Picture Quote #1

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I worked more intensively hour after hour when I was starting out [writing]. More laboriously. I’d say quantity is important as well as quality, and if you’re not producing enough, make a schedule and stick to it Picture Quote #1

I started writing the one-sentence stories when I was translating ‘Swann’s Way.’ There were two reasons. I had almost no time to do my own writing, but didn’t want to stop. And it was a reaction to Proust’s very long sentences Picture Quote #1

I do see an interest in writing for Twitter. While publishers still do love the novel and people do still like to sink into one, the very quick form is appealing because of the pace of life Picture Quote #1

I am basically the sort of person who has stage-fright teaching. I kind of creep into a classroom. I’m not an anecdote-teller, either, although I often wish I were Picture Quote #1

But it is curious how you can see that an idea is absolutely true and correct and yet not believe it deeply enough to act on it Picture Quote #1

I am simply not interested, at this point, in creating narrative scenes between characters Picture Quote #1

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I can talk for a long time only when it’s about something boring Picture Quote #1

The translator, a lonely sort of acrobat, becomes confused in a labyrinth of paradox, or climbs a pyramid of dependent clauses and has to invent a way down from it in his own language Picture Quote #1

There seemed to be three choices: to give up trying to love anyone, to stop being selfish, or to learn to love a person while continuing to be selfish Picture Quote #1

I don’t pare down much. I write the beginning of a story in a notebook and it comes out very close to what it will be in the end. There is not much deliberateness about it Picture Quote #1

My stories are sometimes closer to poems or meditations, but often there is at least a little narrative in them Picture Quote #1

Do what you want to do, and don’t worry if it’s a little odd or doesn’t fit the market Picture Quote #1

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To observe the world carefully, to write a lot and often, on a schedule if necessary, to use the dictionary a lot, to look up word origins, to analyze closely the work of writers you admire, to read not only contemporaries but writers of the past, to learn at least one foreign language, to live an interesting life outside of writing Picture Quote #1

The moment when a limit is reached, when there is nothing ahead but darkness: something comes in to help that is not real. Another way all this is like madness: a mad person not helped out of his trouble by anything real begins to trust what is not real because it helps him and he needs it because real things continue not to help him Picture Quote #1

We feel an affinity with a certain thinker because we agree with him; or because he shows us what we were already thinking; or because he shows us in a more articulate form what we were already thinking; or because he shows us what we were on the point of thinking; or what we would sooner or later have thought; or what we would have thought much later if we hadn’t read it now; or what we would have been likely to think but never would have thought if we hadn’t read it now; or what we would have liked to think but never would have thought if we hadn’t read it now Picture Quote #1

Maybe the truth does not matter, but I want to know it if only so that I can come to some conclusions about such questions as: whether he is angry with me or not; if he is, then how angry; whether he still loves me or not; if he does, then how much; whether he loves me or not; how much; how capable he is of deceiving me in the act and after the act in the telling Picture Quote #1

Heart weeps. Head tries to help heart. Head tells heart how it is, again: You will lose the ones you love. They will all go. But even the earth will go, someday. Heart feels better, then. But the words of head do not remain long in the ears of heart. Heart is so new to this. I want them back, says heart. Head is all heart has. Help, head. Help heart Picture Quote #1

I looked like a woman in glasses, but I had dreams of leading a very different kind of life, the life of a woman who would not wear glasses, the kind of woman I saw from a distance now and then in a bar Picture Quote #1

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Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

I first read ‘Madame Bovary’ in my teens or early twenties (Lydia Davis Quotes) Work hard and meticulously. When in trouble, look closely at a text that is a good example of what you’re trying to do. And be patient. (Lydia Davis Quotes) I never dream in French, but certain French words seem better or more fun than English words - like ‘pois chiches’ for chick peas! (Lydia Davis Quotes) When I’m trying a new form- trying to do something I’m not used to doing, which was true of the novel. (Lydia Davis Quotes) Because I’m not writing all the time (thank goodness), my mind is sometimes pleasantly blank (Lydia Davis Quotes) Even though I believe a superlative translation can achieve timelessness, that doesn’t mean I think other translators shouldn’t attempt other versions. The more the better, in the end. (Lydia Davis Quotes) I worked more intensively hour after hour when I was starting out [writing]. More laboriously. I’d say quantity is important as well as quality, and if you’re not producing enough, make a schedule and stick to it. (Lydia Davis Quotes) I started writing the one-sentence stories when I was translating ‘Swann’s Way.’ There were two reasons. I had almost no time to do my own writing, but didn’t want to stop. And it was a reaction to Proust’s very long sentences (Lydia Davis Quotes) I do see an interest in writing for Twitter. While publishers still do love the novel and people do still like to sink into one, the very quick form is appealing because of the pace of life (Lydia Davis Quotes) I am basically the sort of person who has stage-fright teaching. I kind of creep into a classroom. I’m not an anecdote-teller, either, although I often wish I were (Lydia Davis Quotes) But it is curious how you can see that an idea is absolutely true and correct and yet not believe it deeply enough to act on it (Lydia Davis Quotes) I am simply not interested, at this point, in creating narrative scenes between characters (Lydia Davis Quotes) I can talk for a long time only when it’s about something boring (Lydia Davis Quotes) The translator, a lonely sort of acrobat, becomes confused in a labyrinth of paradox, or climbs a pyramid of dependent clauses and has to invent a way down from it in his own language (Lydia Davis Quotes) There seemed to be three choices: to give up trying to love anyone, to stop being selfish, or to learn to love a person while continuing to be selfish (Lydia Davis Quotes) I don’t pare down much. I write the beginning of a story in a notebook and it comes out very close to what it will be in the end. There is not much deliberateness about it (Lydia Davis Quotes) My stories are sometimes closer to poems or meditations, but often there is at least a little narrative in them (Lydia Davis Quotes) Do what you want to do, and don’t worry if it’s a little odd or doesn’t fit the market (Lydia Davis Quotes) To observe the world carefully, to write a lot and often, on a schedule if necessary, to use the dictionary a lot, to look up word origins, to analyze closely the work of writers you admire, to read not only contemporaries but writers of the past, to learn at least one foreign language, to live an interesting life outside of writing (Lydia Davis Quotes) The moment when a limit is reached, when there is nothing ahead but darkness: something comes in to help that is not real. Another way all this is like madness: a mad person not helped out of his trouble by anything real begins to trust what is not real because it helps him and he needs it because real things continue not to help him (Lydia Davis Quotes) We feel an affinity with a certain thinker because we agree with him; or because he shows us what we were already thinking; or because he shows us in a more articulate form what we were already thinking; or because he shows us what we were on the point of thinking; or what we would sooner or later have thought; or what we would have thought much later if we hadn’t read it now; or what we would have been likely to think but never would have thought if we hadn’t read it now; or what we would have liked to think but never would have thought if we hadn’t read it now (Lydia Davis Quotes) Maybe the truth does not matter, but I want to know it if only so that I can come to some conclusions about such questions as: whether he is angry with me or not; if he is, then how angry; whether he still loves me or not; if he does, then how much; whether he loves me or not; how much; how capable he is of deceiving me in the act and after the act in the telling (Lydia Davis Quotes) Heart weeps. Head tries to help heart. Head tells heart how it is, again: You will lose the ones you love. They will all go. But even the earth will go, someday. Heart feels better, then. But the words of head do not remain long in the ears of heart. Heart is so new to this. I want them back, says heart. Head is all heart has. Help, head. Help heart (Lydia Davis Quotes) I looked like a woman in glasses, but I had dreams of leading a very different kind of life, the life of a woman who would not wear glasses, the kind of woman I saw from a distance now and then in a bar (Lydia Davis Quotes)