“I feel like one of the things I'm trying most to do is stretch my empathetic reach, as far as it will go. I got as far as Gilles de Rais' assistant, for example, and not really as far as de Rais himself.” FeelsTryingExampleAssistantsEmpathetic Author:Jim Shepard
“Does research get in the way of the story? It certainly can. Anything can, given that as writers we're all geniuses at procrastination. But mostly research teaches me about the world. Which often shows me the way, in terms of the story.” WorldWayDoeStoriesShowsGivenTermTeachGeniusResearchProcrastinationShow Me Author:Jim Shepard
“I love the box that such a decision puts you in, and I love the interest the reader has in seeing how you negotiate that box: that seemingly hugely narrowed set of options. I also like the way in which it reminds us that we connect to the real world. That our relationship to the world matters.” WorldWayRealMatterInterestDecisionSeeingReaderBoxesReal WorldOur Relationship Author:Jim Shepard
“I do find stories - or literary fiction - an apt form for analyzing the world. And especially for trying to imagine the other. An agenda, again, that seems more important now than ever.” WorldTryingImportantStoriesSeemsFormFictionImagineAgendasAnalyzing Author:Jim Shepard
“I don't think conservativism is about a deficiency. I think it's about a commitment to an ideology that has to in some ways devalue the usefulness of empathy. I do think empathy can be learned. And enhanced.” ThinkingWayEmpathyCommitmentIdeologyUsefulnessDeficiencyDevalue Author:Jim Shepard
“Empathy is a human trait. But lots of humans exercise some traits more energetically than others. By "the usefulness of empathy" I mean the way in which a progressive might claim that empathy is a crucial aspect of any benign political system, and the way a conservative might argue that not only is it not necessary, but it might not even be all that helpful, in that regard.” WayHumansMeanMightPoliticalExerciseEmpathyAspectClaimsRegardConservativeArguingHelpfulProgressiveCrucialTraitsUsefulnessPolitical SystemsBenign Author:Jim Shepard
“I think there's no question that historians create; they would tell you that, I think. If I'm trying to imagine an imperial Roman position, it's much easier to imagine the poor schlub who's not even sure why he's doing what he's doing than it is to imagine Caesar. At least for me. And I'm intrigued, too, by the position of the poor schlub who *still* finds himself supporting the imperial project.” IfsThinkingTryingStillsPoorImaginePositionEasierProjectsHistorianIntrigued Author:Jim Shepard
“I don't beat at the details, but I do always keep in mind that anything that isn't A) moving the story forward or B) enlarging my understanding of the central characters has to be sacrificed. I have huge folders of details - research - with a story like Netherlands. Only a very small part of it gets used. The old iceberg analogy again.” MindCharacterStoriesMovingUsedUnderstandingHugeBeatsResearchDetailsAnalogiesSmall PartsIcebergNetherlandsFolders Author:Jim Shepard
“We've demonstrated a strong track record of being very disciplined with the use of our cash. We don't let it burn a hole in our pocket, we don't allow it to motivate us to do stupid acquisitions. And so I think that we'd like to continue to keep our powder dry, because we do feel that there are one or more strategic opportunities in the future.” ThinkingFeelsUseOpportunityStrongRecordsStupidTrackHolesDryPocketsCashStrategicAcquisitionPowderTrack Record Author:Steve Jobs
“I'm tempted to do everything. And sometimes I think, "Oh, come on. You can stick that detail somewhere."” ThinkingSometimesSticksDetailsTempted Author:Jim Shepard