"If he acts, if he doesn't, it's meaningless. The whole thing goes forward. No one is important. No one at all."
About Jesse Ball
Jesse Ball — Life and Legacy
Jesse Ball is a contemporary author whose works delve into the intricacies of human experience and the nature of truth. His distinctive narrative style often blurs the lines between reality and fiction, inviting readers to reflect on their own identities. In his novel 'The Curfew', Ball examines themes of isolation and conflict, encapsulated in his quote, 'To be alive is to be in a state of conflict'. This perspective reveals his belief that human existence is inherently complex and fraught with contradictions. Ball's exploration of truth is not merely philosophical; it is deeply personal. He suggests that our lives are shaped by the stories we tell, as reflected in his quote, 'The world is a place of stories'. This highlights his conviction that understanding ourselves and others requires a narrative framework. By challenging conventional notions of truth and identity, Ball invites readers to confront their own narratives and the conflicts within them. Today, Jesse Ball's insights resonate with those grappling with their own experiences of isolation and truth. His ability to articulate the nuances of human emotion ensures that his work remains relevant, encouraging introspection and connection among readers.
Quote collection
Jesse Ball quotes (page 1 of 2)
38 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"First, he says, you have to go out into the world. This is not a simple matter of going outside one's door. No, that is simply going out. That's what one does when one is on the way to the store to buy a loaf of bread, some cheese, and a bottle of wine. When one goes out into the world, one is shedding preconceptions of past paths and ideas of past paths, and trying to move freely through an unsubstantiated and new geography."
"Not that believing such things has anything to do with whether they are true. You see that, don't you?"
"I'm an elephant today. I will need to have lots of room and also a bowl of water on the floor."
"I believe in discovering the love that exists and then trying to understand it. Not to invent a love and try to make it exist, but to find what does exist, and then to see what it is."
"I believe my friends think I'm funny. All the books are full of humor. Maybe it is a quiet sort of humor that masquerades as not-much-at-all. It is certainly easy to miss."
"Sunday was always the best of days for being the self you had intended to be, but were not, for one reason or another."
"As far as ideas about book design: I have plenty. But I also try and let people do their jobs."
"If Americans are to read something that is difficult, they will only do so supposing they will be admired for having done it."
"Americans are genuinely and profoundly anti-intellectual. They are especially so in their pleasure-seeking, which is epically banal."
"I don't think anything needs to happen in a book."
"A book can just be a description of a stick being snapped in half. If the reader is brought to feel the plight of the stick, well, you can imagine what that would be like."
"I don't start with an idea or concept in the sense that I flesh out an idea or concept and set it at the center of something."
"A beginning idea for a book might be: a boy emerges from a hole in the ground. He enters a house. The book will take place in the first ten minutes following his arrival."
"I'd say writing is easier for me now than it once was, but I do less of it."
"I'm clearer now in what I want to say, and I know better how to say just that."
"I am clearer in my mind and a bit less confused than I used to be."
"I begin with an image of some sort, just as if you saw something out of a window, and then went to the window to see what it was."
"Much of my work has been done in first person."
"Clarity is the most important thing to me - in thinking - and so I try in the books to be as clear as possible."