03 January 2006, 03:45 PM
AnitaLooking for quote
Hello. I'm looking for a quote that I recall being attributed to Ray Bradbury in a speech or essay entitled, "How to be Madder than Captain Ahab, or On Writing." This was back in high school in the late 70s. The excerpt I'm looking for had to do with advice to aspiring writers, in which Ray Bradbury urged them to read anything and everything they could get their hands on, from the cheapest trash to the most celebrated literature, and let the ideas clash gloriously in their heads. I'd like to find the exact quote, but have been unable to locate the quote or speech/essay in any of Bradbury's collections. I suppose my memory may be faulty, but I hope not. Can anyone help? Thanks!
04 January 2006, 09:12 AM
WalloonThe essay was originally published in the journal
The Writer in February 1974. It is reprinted in the book
The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature (Watson-Guptill Publications, 2002).
Quote:
quote:
To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling.
You must write every single day of your life.
You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next.
You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to snuff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads.
I wish for you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime.
I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you.
May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories.
Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.
04 January 2006, 09:12 AM
Mr. DarkI don't have my library available (I'm at work) but it may be in the collection, "Zen and the Art of Writing" by Bradbury.
(We posted at the same time. It looks like Walloon answered it.)
04 January 2006, 09:56 AM
AnitaThanks so much, both of you! I'll look for The Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature.
04 January 2006, 10:23 AM
fjp451For the still curious:
http://www.goblinmarket.com/Adult%20Books/Writing%20for...s/wg_fantasy_lit.htmand then...
Very Nice surprise ~ to receive hellos and thanks in the mail yesterday from Biplane and Mr. B on the same day.
From FLA and CA to far NY!!
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