“Short story writers simply do what human beings have always done. They write stories because they have to; because they cannot rest until they have tried as hard as they can to write the stories. They cannot rest because they are human, and all of us need to speak into the silence of mortality, to interrupt and ever so briefly stop that quiet flow, and with stories try to understand at least some of it.”

—  Andre Dubus

Into the Silence.
Broken Vessels (1991)

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 "Short story writers simply do what human beings have always done. They write stories because they have to; because they…" by Andre Dubus?
Andre Dubus photo
Andre Dubus 9
Novelist, short story writer, teacher 1936–1999

Related quotes

William Saroyan photo

“All I can do is write my stories for mankind, and rest easy.”

William Saroyan (1908–1981) American writer

Three Times Three (1936)

“I have written a few short stories for different venues, but I don’t see a big market in writing collections of short stories—at least not enough to sustain a living. Short stories are great for writing, but this is how I earn a living.”

Steve Alten (1959) American writer

Interview with New HWA Member Steve Alten http://horror.org/interview-with-new-hwa-member-steve-alten-by-ron-breznay/ (December 7, 2011)

John Green photo

“I really think that reading is just as important as writing when you're trying to be a writer. Because it's the only apprenticeship we have. It's the only way of learning how to write a story.”

John Green (1977) American author and vlogger

Nov. 26th: Writing Advice (And Notes on Surnameless Tiffany) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gf69J1Go98&feature=channel
YouTube

William Saroyan photo

“If you can't write a decent short story because of the cold, write something else. Write anything.”

William Saroyan (1908–1981) American writer

The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze (1934), A Cold Day
Context: If you can't write a decent short story because of the cold, write something else. Write anything. Write a long letter to somebody.

Flannery O’Connor photo
Tennessee Williams photo
Julie Taymor photo

“We always write stories of tragedies because that's how we reach our human depth. How we get to the other side of it.”

Julie Taymor (1952) American film and theatre director

Bill Moyers interview (2002)
Context: We always write stories of tragedies because that's how we reach our human depth. How we get to the other side of it. We look at the cruelty, the darkness and horrific events that happened in our life whether it be a miscarriage or a husband who is not faithful. Then you find this ability to transcend. And that is called the passion, like the passion of Christ. You could call this the passion of Frida Kahlo, in a way.
When I talk about passion, and I'm not a religious person, but I absolutely am drawn and attracted to the power of religious art because it gets at that most extreme emotion of the human experience.

James Patterson photo
Ray Bradbury photo

Related topics