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Quote by Donald Barthelme

“MTV has severely compromised surrealism, perhaps ruined it forever.”

Quote by Donald Barthelme

Author

Donald Barthelme

Donald Barthelme was an American author born on April 7, 1931, and passed away on July 23, 1989. Known for his unique literary style and experimental writing, Barthelme is considered one of the representatives of postmodernist literature. more

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“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.”

Knows Ideas Next Difficult Wonder Strange Demand Endless

Author:Donald Barthelme

“Some people', Miss R. said,'run to conceits or wisdom but I hold to the hard, brown, nutlike word. I might point out that there is enough aesthetic excitement here to satisfy anyone but a damned fool.”

People Said Hard Enough Might Running Missing Fool Excitement Brown Aesthetic Conceit

Author:Donald Barthelme

“Doubt is a necessary precondition tomeaningful action. Fear is the great mover in the end.”

Ends Action Doubt

Author:Donald Barthelme

“Let me point out, if it has escaped your notice, that what an artist does, is fail.”

Ifs Doe Artist Failing Let Me

Author:Donald Barthelme

“The world is sagging, snagging, scaling, spalling, pilling, pinging, pitting, warping, checking, fading, chipping, cracking, yellowing, leaking, stalling, shrinking, and in dynamic unbalance.”

World Fading Shrinking Sagging Stalling

Author:Donald Barthelme

“I am never needlessly obscure - I am needfully obscure, when I am obscure.”

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."”

Heart Said Literature Break Creation Objects Strange Aim Rounds Covered Blank Fur Break Your Heart

Author:Donald Barthelme

“No man's plenum, Mr. Quistgaard, is impervious to the awl of God's will.”

Men Gods Will Impervious

Book:Snow White

Source: Snow White

“We like books that have a lot of dreck in them, matter which presents itself as not wholly relevant (or indeed, at all relevant) but which, carefully attended to, can supply a kind of "sense" of what is going on. This "sense" is not to be obtained by reading between the lines (for there is nothing there, in those white spaces) but by reading the lines themselves looking at them and so arriving at a feeling not of satisfaction exactly, that is too much to expect, but of having read them, of having "completed" them.”

Kind Book Matter Feelings Reading Lines Space White Too Much Satisfaction Relevant Arriving Between The Lines White Space

Author:Donald Barthelme

“Take me home," Snow White said. "Take me home instantly. If there is anything worse than being home, it is being out.”

Ifs Said Home White Snow Take Me Snow White

Book:Snow White

Source: Snow White