Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Quote of the Day (E.B. White on the Writer’s Duty)


"A writer should concern himself with whatever absorbs his fancy, stirs his heart, and unlimbers his typewriter. I feel no obligation to deal with politics. I do feel a responsibility to society because of going into print: a writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error. He should tend to lift people up, not lower them down. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life.”—E.B. White quoted in The Writer’s Chapbook: A Compendium of Fact, Opinion, Wit, and Advice From the Twentieth Century’s Preeminent Writers, edited by George Plimpton (1999)

(Thanks to my friend Holly for the inspiration.)