Writers are always selling somebody out.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Writing involves exposing others, often at their expense.
- In plain terms
- Writers betray people through their work.
- What can you take from it?
- Be aware that writing can harm others.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is it ethical to write about people without permission?
- How do you balance truth and loyalty?
Another view
Not all writing betrays; some honors its subjects.
More from Joan Didion
We forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget.
Permalink to quote #9 Was there ever in anyone's life span a point free in time, devoid of memory, a night when choice was any more than the sum of all the choices gone before?
Permalink to quote #8 The writer is always tricking the reader into listening to their dream.
Permalink to quote #7
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