“Language, as a vehicle, is a lemon…” Quotes for writers (and people who like quotes)
We writers aren’t sculpting in DNA, or even clay or mud, but words, sentences, paragraphs, syntax, voice; materials issued by tongue or fingertips but which upon release dissolve into the atmosphere, into cloud, confection, specter.
Language, as a vehicle, is a lemon, a hot rod painted with thrilling flames but crazily erratic to drive, riddled with bugs like innate self-consciousness, embedded metaphors and symbols, helpless intertextuality, and so forth.
Despite being regularly driven on prosaic errands (interoffice memos, supermarket receipts, etc.), it tends to veer on its misaligned chassis into the ditch of abstraction, of dream. ― Jonathan Lethem
photo credit: Paulo Brandão via photopin cc
5 comments on ““Language, as a vehicle, is a lemon…” Quotes for writers (and people who like quotes)”
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A Good Confession
"Unputdownable" Miriam Stoppard
BRIDGET WHELAN writer 
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's New (to me) Authors Blog.
Thanks for reblogging, Chris.
Welcome Bridget, it’s a great article 🙂
very well said, bridget.
Thanks, but the hard-to-drive-words are Jonathan Lethem not mine. He’s created some good images and exactly how I feel at times… You too?