Adam Gopnik Quotes, Eerie Quotes, Space Quotes

In the New Yorker library, I have long been shelved between Nadine Gordimer and Brendan Gill; an eerie little space nestled between high seriousness of purpose and legendary lightness of touch.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Eerie Quotes , Space Quotes

For me, the beauty of the blank page, or empty screen,staring up at nine thirty after two cups of coffee and a deep breath remains unique. The blankness invites scribbling on, mental drawing , and the best feeling I know - apart from the more obvious sensual ones - is the feeling of putting down the first thought and seeing it turn into symbols. Making an idea into an emotion.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Coffee Quotes , Unique Quotes

The relentless note of incipient hysteria, the invitation to panic, the ungrounded scenarios - the overwhelming and underlying desire for something truly terrible to happen so that you could have something really hot to talk about - was still startling. We call disasters unimaginable, but all we do is imagine such things. [...] That, you could conclude mordantly, is the real soundtrack of our time: the amplification of the self-evident toward the creation of paralyzing, preëmptive paranoia.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Fear Quotes , Real Quotes

I don't miss the obligation to be opinionated, but I do regret the chance to share a joy.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Regret Quotes , Joy Quotes

I rush to add that I find the Web infinitely useful for rustling up information, settling arguments or locating the legends of rock stars.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Stars Quotes , Rocks Quotes

Art without accomplishment becomes a form of faith, sustained more by the intensity of its common practice than by the pleasure it gives to its adherents in private.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Faith Quotes , Art Quotes

The French believe that all errors are distant, someone else's fault. Americans believe that there is no distance, no difference, and therefore that there are no errors, that any troubles are simple misunderstandings, consequent on your not yet having spoken English loudly enough.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Distance Quotes , Believe Quotes

Good editorial writing has less to do with winning an argument, since the other side is mostly not listening, than with telling the guys on your side how they ought to sound when they’re arguing.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Writing Quotes , Winning Quotes

Merely that you start off with ideas buzzing around in your head, and then you try to give them the simpler, more graceful shape, of a feeling that a reader might share. You learn to sing with, not argue at, your possible readers.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Ideas Quotes , Giving Quotes

There are two kinds of travelers. There is the kind who goes to see what there is to see, and the kind who has an image in his head and goes out to accomplish it. The first visitor has an easier time, but I think the second visitor sees more.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Thinking Quotes , Two Quotes

Paris, on the other hand, looked exactly as it was supposed to look. It wore its heart on its sleeve, and the strange thing was that the heart it wore so openly was in other ways so closed-mysterious, uninviting.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Heart Quotes , Hands Quotes

In bookstores, my stuff is usually filed in the out-of-the-way, additional interest sections.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Bookstores Quotes , Stuff Quotes

Often the block [in writing] comes from the wall of words that keep out the simplicity of sense.

5 years ago

Message Copied

Tags : Adam Gopnik Quotes , Wall Quotes , Block Quotes