Dillard, Annie -- Living by Fiction (1983)

Dave — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 19:51:40 +0000

The art object is always passive in relation to its audience. It is alarmingly active, however, in relation to its creator. Far from being like a receptacle in which you, the artist, drop your ideas, and far from being like a lump of clay which you pummel until it fits your notion of an ashtray, the art object is more like an enthusiastic and ill-trained Labrador retriever which yanks you into traffic.

Annie Dillard (b. 1945) American author
Living by Fiction (1983)
(Source)

Often paraphrased, "Art is like an ill-trained Labrador retriever that drags you out into traffic."

Dillard, Annie -- The Writing Life (1989)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.

Annie Dillard (b. 1945) American author
The Writing Life (1989)

WIST Quotations

Dillard, Annie -- Living by Fiction (1983)

Dillard, Annie -- The Writing Life (1989)