Writing is a very, very unnatural act. Most people are out living—their bodies are, they’re walking and they’re talking and they’re working and playing and they’re interacting. Writing’s very unnatural because you are not living when you write. But at the same time, what a great paradox—because you’re all writers so you all know. You’re all going, Oh but no, no, I’m most alive when I write. So you are more living or less, we can’t use “more” or “less,” it’s just different. And this is the crux of any writer’s life. It is the essential paradox and question and torment and joy. Are you writing or living and what’s the difference and where’s the line and how do we divide those activities? …
I’ve spent my whole life thinking, Is this unnatural? Shouldn’t someone be parading outside my apartment with a cardboard placard saying, “Insanity’s taking place on the inside”? They really should, there’d be a point to it. And then, in other moods, I go, No, no, no, the insanity’s taking place out there. And I waffle back and forth. And this waffling back and forth, when you yourself experience it, it’s called life. And you are going to experience this waffling back and forth for the rest of your life. And whenever you do, don’t think you’re unnatural or broken or different. It’s life, and we’re living it, and that tension is life.
—Mary Ruefle, in conversation with Alice Quinn at the NYU Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House, September 6, 2012. Click through to listen.
Notes
-
morissassy likes this
-
sweetlittlefruit likes this
-
aliendividedbyzero reblogged this from olgatheemolga
-
olgatheemolga reblogged this from booksmatter
-
raggedrascals reblogged this from poetrysociety
-
koninginidrissah likes this
-
ohmygollyholly likes this
-
combeferrre reblogged this from poetrysociety
-
weremostofyourstarsout reblogged this from booksmatter
-
onetruefairytale likes this
-
princessofpeace likes this
-
passionprayparis reblogged this from bearfootghosts
-
jrmorber likes this
-
hellonarcissus reblogged this from perkyweasley
-
dartagnan4 likes this
-
perkyweasley reblogged this from booksmatter
-
someonelikerachael reblogged this from poetrysociety
-
writerewriteread reblogged this from booksmatter
-
passionprayparis likes this
-
bearfootghosts reblogged this from booksmatter
-
jashleyodell likes this
-
chairfacechippendale likes this
-
gothamette reblogged this from booksmatter
-
scentontheseatbelt reblogged this from booksmatter
-
aahmazinggrace reblogged this from poetrysociety
-
lilinurindahsari reblogged this from booksmatter
-
narcissamia likes this
-
toddbotblog likes this
-
shortfury reblogged this from booksmatter
-
iwriteyourname reblogged this from booksmatter
-
irrationalgraceistaken likes this
-
threesixfifteen likes this
-
misterleslieknope likes this
-
lucydee likes this
-
endlesssound likes this
-
cognitiveconsonants likes this
-
jennysadre-orafai likes this
-
ericesparza likes this
-
livelaughlove79 likes this
-
0h-tiffanyy reblogged this from booksmatter
-
hardlikealgebra likes this
-
theoryofrain reblogged this from booksmatter
-
shutupandbuckleupistakingabreak likes this
-
hotcocoandconformity likes this
-
katelynk reblogged this from booksmatter
-
margeatlarge reblogged this from booksmatter
-
viadelleombre reblogged this from poetrysociety
-
manicxxpanic likes this
-
gideoncrumb likes this
- Show more notes
