“The writer is one who, embarking upon a task, does not know what to do... Writing is a process of dealing with not-knowing, a forcing of what and how.” KnowsWritingDoeProcessKnowingTasksNot KnowingEmbarking Author:Donald Barthelme
“What an artist does, is fail. Any reading of the literature, (I mean the literature of artistic creation), however summary, will persuade you instantly that the paradigmatic artistic experience is that of failure. The actualization fails to meet, equal, the intuition. There is something "out there" which cannot be brought "here". This is standard. I don't mean bad artists, I mean good artists. There is no such thing as a "successful artist" (except, of course, in worldly terms).” MeanDoeArtArtistCoursesReadingLiteratureTermSuccessfulFailingCreationEqualStandardsIntuitionArtisticWorldlyGood ArtSummaryGood ArtistActualizationArtistic CreationSuccessful Artists Author:Donald Barthelme
“The question so often asked of modern painting, "What is it?", contains more than the dull skepticism of the man who is not going to have the wool pulled over his eyes. It speaks of a fundamental placement in relation to the work, that of a voyager in the world coming upon a strange object. The reader reconstitutes the work by his active participation, by approaching the object, tapping it, shaking it, holding it to his ear to hear the roaring within. It is characteristic of the object that it does not declare itself all at once, in a rush of pleasant naïveté.” MenWorldDoeEyeSpeakModernObjectsStrangeHe ManPaintingReaderEarsRelationFundamentalsActiveCharacteristicsPleasantHis EyesDullSkepticismParticipationShakingRoaringTappingWoolVetsPlacementActive ParticipationShaking It Author:Donald Barthelme
“Let me point out, if it has escaped your notice, that what an artist does, is fail.” IfsDoeArtistFailingLet Me Author:Donald Barthelme
“"How does one conquer fear, Don B.?" "One takes a frog and sews it to one's shoe," he said. "The left or the right?" Don B. gave me a pitying look. "Well, you'd look mighty funny going down the street with only one frog sewed to your shoes, wouldn't you?" he said. "One frog on each shoe."” WellsLooksDoeSaidLeftStreetsShoesConquerFrogsConquering Fear Author:Donald Barthelme
“The writer is one who, emnbarking upon a task, does not know what to do.” KnowsDoeTasksCrafts Author:Donald Barthelme
