Each death and departure comes to us as a surprise, a sorrow never anticipated. Life is a long series of farewells; only the circumstances should surprise us. Jessamyn West More Quotes by Jessamyn West More Quotes From Jessamyn West Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely necessary. Jessamyn West helpful courage writing A religious awakening which does not awaken the sleeper to love has roused him in vain. Jessamyn West religious inspiring love Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer. He must be alone, uninterrupted, and slightly savage if he is to sustain and complete an undertaking. Jessamyn West being-alone writing friendship Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures. Jessamyn West truth attitude happiness There are two barriers that often prevent communication between the young and their elders. The first is middle-aged forgetfulness of the fact that they themselves are no longer young. The second is youthful ignorance of the fact that the middle aged are still alive. Jessamyn West communication ignorance two It is very easy to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit and gumption to forgive them for having witnessed your own. Jessamyn West forgiveness easter mistake A good time for laughing is when you can. Jessamyn West inspirational laughing funny A broken bone can heal, but the wound a word opens can fester forever. Jessamyn West bones broken-heart forever I've done more harm by the falseness of trying to please than by the honesty of trying to hurt. Jessamyn West honesty hurt trying Nothing is so dear as what you're about to leave. Jessamyn West dear-god dear You make what seems a simple choice: choose a man or a job or a neighborhood- and what you have chosen is not a man or a job or a neighborhood, but a life. Jessamyn West simple jobs men Writing is so difficult that I feel that writers, having had their hell on earth, will escape all punishment hereafter. Jessamyn West punishment earth writing The past is really almost as much a work of the imagination as the future. Jessamyn West imagination history past I am always jumping into the sausage grinder and deciding, even before I’m half ground, that I don’t want to be a sausage after all. Jessamyn West sausage jumping half A taste for irony has kept more hearts from breaking than a sense of humor, for it takes irony to appreciate the joke which is on oneself. Jessamyn West lost-love humor heart We can love an honest rogue, but what is more offensive than a false saint? Jessamyn West rogues honest saint One can write out of love or hate. Hate tells one a great deal about a person. Love makes one become the person. Love, contrary to legend, is not half as blind, at least for writing purposes, as hate. Love can see the evil and not cease to be love. Hate cannot see the good and remain hate. The writer, writing out of hatred, will, thus, paint a far more partial picture than if he had written out of love. Jessamyn West hate evil writing There is no royal path to good writing; and such paths as exist do not lead through neat critical gardens, various as they are, but through the jungles of self, the world, and of craft. Jessamyn West garden self writing Sleeplessness is a desert without vegetation or inhabitants. Jessamyn West desert insomnia sleep A rattlesnake that doesn't bite teaches you nothing. Jessamyn West rattlesnakes teach challenges
