A l'intérieur de ce corps vivait l'âme d'une intellectuelle et poète dont personne n'avait le soupçon. Within this body lived the soul of an intellectual and poet, which nobody had suspected. Antonio Tabucchi More Quotes by Antonio Tabucchi More Quotes From Antonio Tabucchi I live quietly at home among my family and friends. Antonio Tabucchi familyhomequiet Like a blazing comet, I've traversed infinite nights, interstellar spaces of the imagination, voluptuousness and fear. I've been a man, a woman, an old person, a little girl, I've been the crowds on the grand boulevards of the capital cities of the West, I've been the serene Buddha of the East, whose calm and wisdom we envy. I've known honor and dishonor, enthusiasm and exhaustion. ...I've been the sun and the moon, and everything because life is not enough. Antonio Tabucchi girlmoonnight An intellectual is going to have doubts, for example, about a fundamentalist religious doctrine that admits no doubt, about an imposed political system that allows no doubt, about a perfect aesthetic that has no room for doubt. Antonio Tabucchi politicalreligiousperfect It's the job of intellectuals and writers to cast doubt on perfection. Antonio Tabucchi perfectiondoubtjobs personally I don't trust literature that soothes people's consciences. Antonio Tabucchi dont-trustliteraturepeople I prefer insomnia to anaesthesia. Antonio Tabucchi anaesthesiarecyclinginsomnia But democracy isn't a state of perfection. It has to be improved, and that means constant vigilance. Antonio Tabucchi democracyperfectionmean Xenophobia manifests itself especially against civilizations and cultures that are weak because they lack economic resources, means of subsistence or land. So nomadic people are the first targets of this kind of aggression. Antonio Tabucchi xenophobialandmean As a writer, I've always been interested in others. Antonio Tabucchi comeback Rather than regret for what I have written, I feel regret for what I shall never be able to read. Antonio Tabucchi ableregretfeels Doubts are like stains on a shirt. I like shirts with stains, because when I'm given a shirt that's too clean, one that's completely white, I immediately start having doubts. Antonio Tabucchi cleandoubtwhite It's very useful when politicians have doubts because there are so many choices to be made in the world. Antonio Tabucchi choicesdoubtworld There are some fundamental values it's impossible to be wrong about. Antonio Tabucchi valuesfundamentalsimpossible I was born in the Second World War during the Nazi invasion of my country. Antonio Tabucchi warcountryworld I don't go for people who lead full and satisfying lives. Antonio Tabucchi satisfyingpeople I vividly remember the stories my grandfather told me about the carnage of the First World War, which people tend to forget was one of the worst massacres in human history. Antonio Tabucchi grandfatherwarpeople Philosophy appears to concern itself only with the truth, but perhaps expresses only fantasies, while literature appears to concern itself only with fantasies, but perhaps it expresses the truth. Antonio Tabucchi fantasyliteraturephilosophy No, I'm happy to go on living the life I've chosen. I'm a university teacher and I like my job. Antonio Tabucchi teacherjobslife Literature is my life of course, but from an ontological point of view. From an existential point of view, I like being a teacher. Antonio Tabucchi hygieneviewsteacher But I don't think I have any particular talent for prediction, because when you have three or four elements in hand, you don't have to be a genius to reach certain conclusions. Antonio Tabucchi four-elementshandsthinking
