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Quote by Susan Sontag

“The most potent elements in a work of art are, often, its silences.”

Quote by Susan Sontag

Book:A Susan Sontag reader

Work

A Susan Sontag reader

This reader compiles a selection of Susan Sontag's influential writings, covering a range of topics including literature, art, photography, and cultural theory. Sontag's work is known for its intellectual rigor and innovative perspectives on contemporary issues. more

Author

Susan Sontag was an American writer, critic, and photographer. Known for her unique literary style and profound thinking, her work spans various fields including literature, art, and politics. Born on January 16, 1933, she passed away on December 28, 2004. more

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“The purpose of art is always, ultimately, to give pleasure - though our sensibilities may take time to catch up with the forms of pleasure that art in a given time may offer.”

Giving May Art Form Purpose Given Pleasure Offers Art Is Take Time Sensibility Purpose Of Art

Author:Susan Sontag

“The moral pleasure in art, as well as the moral service that art performs, consists in the intelligent gratification of consciousness.”

Wells Art Pleasure Consciousness Moral Intelligent Gratification

Book:A Susan Sontag reader

Source: A Susan Sontag reader

“Transparence is the highest, most liberating value in art - and in criticism - today. Transparence means experiencing the luminousness of the thing in itself, of things being what they are.”

Mean Art Today Values Highest Criticism Liberating

Book:A Susan Sontag reader

Source: A Susan Sontag reader

“The capacity to be overwhelmed by the beautiful is astonishingly sturdy and survives amidst the harshest distractions.”

Beautiful Beauty Capacity Distraction Overwhelmed Sturdy

Book:At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches

Source: At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches

“I'm not sure at all that literature should be studied on the university level. ... Why should people study books? Isn't it rather silly to study Pride and Prejudice. Either you get it or you don't.”

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Author:Susan Sontag

“Cancer is a demonic pregnancy.”

Cancer Pregnancy Demonic

Book:Illness as metaphor

Source: Illness as metaphor

“Self-censorship, the most important and most successful form of censorship, is rampant. Debate is identified with dissent, which is in turn identified with disloyalty. There is a widespread feeling that, in this new, open-ended emergency, we may not be able to 'afford' our traditional freedoms.”

May Important Self Feelings Able Form Turns Successful Debate Traditional Censorship Emergencies Dissent Disloyalty Self Censorship

Book:At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches

Source: At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches

“Communism is fascism with a human face.”

Humans Faces Communism Fascism Human Faces

Author:Susan Sontag

“One set of messages of the society we live in is: Consume. Grow. Do what you want. Amuse yourselves.”

Want Grows Messages What You Want Selfishness Consumerism

Author:Susan Sontag

“All my life I've been looking for someone intelligent to talk to.”

Conversation Intelligent

Author:Susan Sontag