Marion Dane Bauer's Blog, page 26
October 20, 2015
Great Is Truth, But…
“Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth. By simply not mentioning certain subjects … totalitarian propagandists have influenced opinion much more effectively than they could have done by the most eloquent denunciations.” Aldous Huxley
October 13, 2015
When the Fun Begins
I sold a book yesterday. Well, not yesterday-yesterday. I’m writing this in August, trying to clear uncluttered space for the longer project I’m working on, so I sold the book in my yesterday, not yours. Not sold-sold, either. No contract. That will be months away. Certainly no advance. More months. But an e-mail to my […]
October 6, 2015
An Optical Delusion
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe’; a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts, and feelings as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of our consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and […]
September 29, 2015
Tied Up with a Bow
“A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.” Samuel Johnson I hear the question regarding On My Honor more than with any of my other books: “But what happens next?” I have, in fact, been asked that so many times about On My Honor that I’ve begun recommending an assignment: You tell me […]
September 22, 2015
What Stories Are Made of
“So many lives filled with longing. It’s what stories― all our stories― are made of.” from my book Little Dog, Lost
September 15, 2015
The Deepest Gift
My working life is represented by 96 books sitting on my shelf, each one bearing my name. An accomplishment I do not hold lightly. These books have been written and published over the course of 40 years, and that bears mentioning, too. I have worked long and steadily. I have made a living for 25 […]
September 8, 2015
Salvaged
“Only what you have given, be it only in the gratitude of acceptance, is salvaged from the nothing which some day will have been your life.” Dag Hammarskjöld
September 1, 2015
Why?
“Why should anyone want to read about your life?” I wanted to laugh. I probably would have, but the question came from my brother. (What brother in the world wouldn’t ask that question of a little sister writing a memoir?) And besides, he spoke in his usual earnest, really-wanting-to-know way. So I explained . . […]
August 25, 2015
Writing Advice
“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” W. Somerset Maugham
August 18, 2015
Do We Believe in Change?
One of the first responders to my recent blog post, “The Insanity of America,” was a teacher. She spoke to my question, “Do we believe in change? Truly?” I had answered myself by saying, “I’m no longer sure I do, and I’m not sure the world around me does either. I have a sense that […]
