In a creative journey, it is essential, no matter how far one runs, to examine that which is closest to home.
Dani ShapiroI'm most connected to myself when I'm alone in a room, moving my hand across a page. That's when I feel most like me.
Dani ShapiroA writer with her work needs to be like a dog with a bone all the time. She needs to know where she's hidden it. Where she's stored the good stuff. She needs to keep gnawing at it, even after all the meat seems to be gone. When a student of mine says (okay, whines) that she's impatient, or tired, or the worst: isn't it good enough? this may be harsh, but she loses just a little bit of my respect. Because there is no room for impatience, or exhaustion, or self-satisfaction, or laziness. All of these really mean, simply, that the inner censor has won the day.
Dani ShapiroIt is in the thousands of days of trying, failing, sitting, thinking, resisting, dreaming, raveling, unraveling that we are at our most engaged, alert, and alive.
Dani Shapiro