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Cynthia Ozick Quotes


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Quotes by Cynthia Ozick

Showing 31-40 of 49 Quotes by Cynthia Ozick

I don't agree with the sentiment 'write what you know.'... I think one should write what one doesn't know. The world is bigger and wider and more complex than our small subjective selves. One should prod, goad the imagination.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: Agree Bigger Complex Imagination Know More Our Prod Selves Sentiment Should Small Subjective Than Think Wider World Write You I Think

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Auden is a poet - no, the poet - of unembarrassed intellect. Ideas are his emotions, emotions are his ideas.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: Emotions His Ideas Intellect Poet

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A novel can be set in motion by an incident, a character, a location, a mood - by anything at all. Sometimes the stimulus can be an idea, which will rapidly clothe itself in character and incident. 'Foreign Bodies' came about through the contemplation of the contrast between post-second world war America and Europe.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: About America Anything Between Bodies Came Character Contemplation Contrast Europe Foreign Idea Incident Itself Location Mood Motion Novel Rapidly Set Sometimes Stimulus Through War Which Will World World War

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In 1952, I had gone to England on a literary pilgrimage, but what I also saw, even at that distance from the blitz, were bombed-out ruins and an enervated society, while the continent was still, psychologically, in the grip of its recent atrocities.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: Also Atrocities Blitz Continent Distance England Even Gone Grip Had Literary Pilgrimage Psychologically Recent Ruins Saw Society Still Were While

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Sometimes writing has to be forced. In starting out, the shape and timbre and texture of what is to come is an uncertain chimera shimmering from behind a veil. You must not wait, loiter, dilly-dally. You must force your way painfully through.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: Behind Come Force Forced Must Out Painfully Shape Sometimes Starting Texture Through Uncertain Veil Wait Way Writing You Your

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Among contemporaries, I hugely admire Alice Munro, our Chekhov, Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, and John Updike, American masters all. I also believe that the voice of Gordon Lish is astoundingly original and sorrowful.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: Admire Alice Also American Among Believe Chekhov Contemporaries Gordon Hugely John Masters Original Our Philip Saul Sorrowful Voice

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I'm afraid that the act of writing is so scary and anxiety-filled that I never laugh at all. In fact, when people tell me that such and such a scene or story is comical, I tend to gape. I did not intend comedy - ever, as far as I know. It's probably all a mistake. I am essentially a lugubrious writer. Ha ha!

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: Act Afraid Am As Far As Comedy Did Essentially Ever Fact Far In Fact Intend Know Laugh Me Mistake Never People Scary Scene Story Tell Tend Writer Writing I Am

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I think a fictional invention grows according to its own development, not the author's. Characters in fiction are not simply as alive as you and me, they are more alive. Becky Sharp, Elizabeth Bennett, and Don Quixote may not outlive the burning out of the sun, but they will certainly outlive the brief candle of our lives.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: According Alive Author Brief Burning Candle Certainly Characters Development Don Quixote Elizabeth Fiction Fictional Grows Invention Lives May Me More Our Our Lives Out Outlive Own Quixote Sharp Simply Sun Think Will You I Think

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There was a period... when I used to say, with as much ferocity as I could muster, 'I hate Henry James, and I wish he was dead.' Influence is perdition.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: Could Dead Hate He Henry Influence James Much Muster Perdition Period Say Used Wish I Wish

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When I say that George Eliot has long been my hero, I mean to include those aspects of her thought and temperament that have been disparaged or dismissed or ignored. She was, after all, a novelist who did not eschew politics or polemics - sometimes silently though defiantly, as in her relationship with George Henry Lewes.

~Cynthia Ozick

Topics: After Aspects Been Did Dismissed George Henry Her Hero Ignored Include Long Mean Novelist Politics Relationship Say She Sometimes Temperament Those Though Thought Who

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Novelist

Born: April 17th, 1928

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Find Cynthia Ozick on Amazon

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