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Quote by Nelson Algren

“You don't write a novel out of sheer pity any more than you blow a safe out of a vague longing to be rich. A certain ruthlessness and a sense of alienation from society is as essential to creative writing as it is to armed robbery.”

Quote by Nelson Algren

Author

Nelson Algren
Nelson Algren

Nelson Algren was an American film writer born on March 28, 1909, and died on May 9, 1981. He is known for his profound depiction of the lives of the underclass in American society. more

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