If we had to say what writing is, we would have to define it essentially as an act of courage.
Cynthia OzickTo be any sort of competent writer one must keep one's psychological distance from the supreme artists.
Cynthia OzickThere's a paradox in rereading. You read the first time for rediscovery: an encounter with the confirming emotions. But you reread for discovery: you go to the known to figure out the workings of the unknown, the why of the familiar how.
Cynthia Ozick