Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Lydia Davis

Quote by Lydia Davis

“The moment when a limit is reached, when there is nothing ahead but darkness: something comes in to help that is not real. Another way all this is like madness: a mad person not helped out of his trouble by anything real begins to trust what is not real because it helps him and he needs it because real things continue not to help him.”

Quote by Lydia Davis

Book:Break It Down: Stories
Create image

Work

Break It Down: Stories

This book compiles a selection of short stories that delve into a range of topics and storylines, offering readers a diverse and engaging reading experience. more

Author

Lydia Davis
Lydia Davis

Lydia Davis is an American writer born on July 15, 1947. Known for her concise and refined style, Davis is renowned for her short story writing. Her works have won numerous literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the MacArthur Genius Grant. more

You May Also Like

“I attempt all day, at work, not to think about what lies ahead, but this costs me so much effort that there is nothing left for my work. I handle telephone calls so badly that after a while the switchboard operator refuses to connect me. So I had better say to myself, Go ahead and polish the silverware beautifully, then lay it out ready on the sideboard and be done with it. Because I polish it in my mind all day long—this is what torments me (and doesn't clean the silver).”

ThinkingMindLongDoneLyingLeftEffortReadyCostLaysCleanRefuseHandleSilverTelephonesTormentPolishOperators
Author:Lydia Davis
Create image

“To observe the world carefully, to write a lot and often, on a schedule if necessary, to use the dictionary a lot, to look up word origins, to analyze closely the work of writers you admire, to read not only contemporaries but writers of the past, to learn at least one foreign language, to live an interesting life outside of writing.”

IfsWorldWritingLooksUsePastLanguageInterestingAdmireLook UpSchedulesDictionaryForeign LanguageInteresting Life
Author:Lydia Davis
Create image

“Abortion destroys self-worth and dignity. I bought into the idea that abortion was simply a matter of choice. I used abortion as birth control until after my fourth abortion. I felt inside that this action has to be wrong. I wish I had given more thought to the abortions I had. If just one person had said, 'Star, what you're doing is wrong,' it might have changed the destiny of my life.”

IfsPersonsSaidIdeasSelfMatterMightActionUsedChoicesGivenWishStarsFeltDestinyChangedBirthDignitySelf WorthJust OneAbortionFourthBirth Control
Author:Star Parker
Create image