THE MAKING OF A WRITER; WE NEED SILENCE TO FIND OUT WHAT WE THINK (Published 1982)
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THE MAKING OF A WRITER; WE NEED SILENCE TO FIND OUT WHAT WE THINK (Published 1982)
And it’s interesting that the writing I tend to think of as “good” is good because it’s mysterious. It tends to happen when I get out of the way—when I let it go a little bit, I surprise myself. I feel most pleased with my language when I don’t understand it completely.
There’s always an urge among writers To turn fleeting observations and momentary glimpses Into metaphors and “material” as quickly as possible, As if every perception ended in a trope, As if the writer were a dynamo Turning the world into words. The goal is the opposite: To get your words, your phrases, As close as you can to the solidity, The
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