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Quote by Charles D'Ambrosio

“Too much me is annoying under any circumstance, but too much me in an essay, however personal, would mar the art. My "character" in the essay is more like a perspective, an angle of vision, a complicating factor, a questioning presence. I don't sit on the sidelines or pretend to objectivity; and I'm not afraid to stick my neck out or to be revealing and vulnerable.”

Author

Charles D'Ambrosio

Charles D'Ambrosio is an American short story writer known for his concise and profound writing style. His works often explore themes of human relationships, moral dilemmas, and the essence of human existence. Born in 1958, D'Ambrosio's short stories have gained widespread recognition in the literary world. more

“My presence isn't simply about "character" - I'm present in every part and particle of the thing, in the sound and rhythm of the sentences, in the shifting tones and the selection of details, in the comedy, the sadness, and the confusion. For the space of an essay, I'm the air you breathe, everywhere and nowhere. With a personal essay, I don't think you'd want it any other way. You ought to have the sense of an encounter, the impression of having met someone. In my essays, for better or worse, that someone is me.”

Thinking Character Comedy Sadness Breathe Impression Confusion Rhythm Essays

Author:Charles D'Ambrosio

“Even with an assignment, I take over, I find a freedom and make the idea my own, and that's where you get the sense that the essays become something very different than the original subject. Assignments are great, though - they test your mettle, your spirit and resilience. All of sudden you drop in, you don't know anything, you're vulnerable and available.”

Different Spirit Resilience Vulnerable Essays

Author:Charles D'Ambrosio

“Sometimes I'll have an end in mind, but it's always false, always corny, just a dumb idea anyone could have, sitting on a barstool. An abstract thesis with no real life inside it. And then I start writing and the writing itself confounds me, taking away the comfort of knowing the end in advance. How is that even possible? Doesn't the conclusion come at the end? How can you begin with one - that seems odd, right?”

Writing Mind Real Sometimes Comfort Real Life Conclusion Dumb Odd Abstract Corny Thesis

Author:Charles D'Ambrosio

“I have lots of fiction in the drawer, but the essays I mostly kick out into the world, ready or not. Fiction incubates differently, I suppose.”

World Essays

Author:Charles D'Ambrosio