Writers are a little below clowns and a little above trained seals.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Steinbeck self-deprecatingly places writers in a humble position between entertainers and animals.
- In plain terms
- Writers are like clowns who are trained to entertain.
- What can you take from it?
- Writers accept a low status in society.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do writers need to be humble?
- How do you define your work?
Another view
This underestimates the cultural value of writing.
More from John Steinbeck
One man was so mad at me that he ended his letter: 'Beware. You will never get out of this world alive.'
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