“I want to test myself, a trial by fire, so that my I is burned off.”

—  Romain Gary

La Nuit Sera Calme [The Night Will Be Calm] (1974)
Context: Gari in Russian means "burn!"… I want to test myself, a trial by fire, so that my I is burned off.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I want to test myself, a trial by fire, so that my I is burned off." by Romain Gary?
Romain Gary photo
Romain Gary 16
French writer and diplomat 1914–1980

Related quotes

Adam Goldstein photo
Harlan Ellison photo

“I want to dip up the fire, and I want to put it on paper. The closer I get to the burning core of my being, the things which are most painful to me, the better is my work.”

Harlan Ellison (1934–2018) American writer

As quoted in Contemporary Authors New Revision Series: A Bio-Bibliographical Guide to Current Writers in Fiction, General Non-Fiction, Poetry, Journalism, Drama, Motion Pictures, Television, & Other Fields (1982) by Ann Evory
Context: I talk about the things people have always talked about in stories: pain, hate, truth, courage, destiny, friendship, responsibility, growing old, growing up, falling in love, all of these things. What I try to write about are the darkest things in the soul, the mortal dreads. I try to go into those places in me that contain the cauldrous. I want to dip up the fire, and I want to put it on paper. The closer I get to the burning core of my being, the things which are most painful to me, the better is my work. … It is a love/hate relationship I have with the human race. I am an elitist, and I feel that my responsibility is to drag the human race along with me — that I will never pander to, or speak down to, or play the safe game. Because my immortal soul will be lost.

Johann Gottlieb Fichte photo
Tori Amos photo
Arthur Miller photo

“A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth!”

John Proctor
The Crucible (1953)
Context: A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud — God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together!

Holly Black photo
Jean Cocteau photo

“I am burning myself up and will always do so.”

Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager and filmmaker
June Carter Cash photo

“Love is a burnin' thing
And it makes a fiery ring
Bound by wild desire
I fell into a ring of fire I fell into a burnin' ring of fire
I went down, down, down
And the flames went higher
And it burns, burns, burns
The ring of fire, the ring of fire”

June Carter Cash (1929–2003) American singer, songwriter and actress

Ring of Fire (1963); co-written with Merle Kilgore · June Carter Cash performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyNf6sw8xaE ·  Anita Carter version (1963) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlWGsaorj6U · Johnny Cash performance (1987) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEOdXU_JQPA ·  Johnny Cash performance (1994) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-zNQA5Xi4Q ·  Live performance by June (1999) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpRa6JbywTc

GG Allin photo

“GG Allin: There's such a fierce intense fire burning inside of me, so much that it just wants to explode.”

GG Allin (1956–1993) American singer-songwriter

GG Allin on The Jane Whitney Show July 16. 1993.
On The Jane Whitney Show

Related topics