Breyten Breytenbach Quotes

You ride astride the imaginary in order to hunt down the real.

In reality the workings of your governing system are opaque and covert, while hiding in the chattering spotlight of an ostensible transparency, even though the ultimate objective is clear.

Leaving traces of ourselves, as in creative productivity, could then be seen as part of the definition of consciousness for us as well. We know that in order to progress we must stretch for something just out of reach--if only for a life that will be more compassionate and decent than the cruelty, paranoia, greed, narrow corporatism, or narcissism we mostly indulge in and find such ample justification for. And so we dream.

The world, our world, has existed since night of time, yet every day we must recreate it. If we did not walk upon the earth, it would not exist.

I came, I saw, I was confused.

The predominant yardstick of your government is not human rights but national interests.

Even ivory towers need central heating.

The goal, I submit, is obvious: subjugating the world (which is barbarian, dangerous, envious and ungrateful) to US power for the sake of America's interests.

Better still - your history has shown how powerful a moral catharsis expressed through popular resistance to injustice can sometimes be; I have in mind the grassroots opposition to the Vietnam War.

I think it's an area that one writes from that is curious because it is not a clearly defined partisan one.

In dancing with the enemy one follows his steps even if counting under one's breath.

Americans have mastered the art of living with the unacceptable.