Quotation by

John McGahern

When I start to write, words have become physical presence. It was to see if I could bring that private world to life that found its first expression through reading. I really dislike the romantic notion of the artist.

John McGahern

Romantic

Understanding this quote AI Analysis

John McGahern describes writing as a way to make his inner thoughts and feelings tangible, turning his private experiences into something real through language. He rejects the idealized idea of the artist as a mysterious genius, focusing instead on the practical act of bringing his personal world into the open.

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Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.

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Romantic love is mental illness. But it's a pleasurable one. It's a drug. It distorts reality, and that's the point of it. It would be impossible to fall in love with someone that you really saw.

Most cynics are really crushed romantics: they've been hurt, they're sensitive, and their cynicism is a shell that's protecting this tiny, dear part in them that's still alive.