“The death of God left the angels in a strange position. They were overtaken suddenly by a fundamental question. One can attempt to imagine the moment. How did they look at the instant the question invaded them, flooding the angelic consciousness, taking hold with terrifying force? The question was, "What are angels?" New to questioning, unaccustomed to terror, unskilled in aloneness, the angels (we assume) fell into despair.” LooksMomentsLeftForceConsciousnessImaginePositionStrangeDespairAngelFundamentalsAssumingTerrorInstantQuestioningAngelicFlooding Book:Sixty stories Source: Sixty stories
“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
“It is difficult to keep the public interested. The public demands new wonders piled on new wonders. Often we don't know where our next marvel is coming from. The supply of strange ideas is not endless.” KnowsIdeasNextDifficultWonderStrangeDemandEndless Author:Donald Barthelme
“His examiner said severely: "Baskerville, you blank round, discursiveness is not literature." "The aim of literature," Baskerville replied grandly, "is the creation of a strange object covered with fur which breaks your heart."” HeartSaidLiteratureBreakCreationObjectsStrangeAimRoundsCoveredBlankFurBreak Your Heart Author:Donald Barthelme
“The death of God left the angels in a strange position.” LeftPositionStrangeAngel Book:Sixty stories Source: Sixty stories
“The aim of literature ... is the creation of a strange object covered with fur which breaks your heart.” HeartLiteratureBreakCreationObjectsStrangeAimCoveredFurBreak Your Heart Author:Donald Barthelme
