But it was not the room’s disorder which was frightening; it was the fact that when one began searching for the key to this disorder, one realized that it was not to be found in any of the usual places. For this was not a matter of habit or circumstance or temperament; it was a matter of punishment and grief.
James A. BaldwinPeople who cling to their illusions find it difficult, if not impossible, to learn anything worth learning: a people under the necessity of creating themselves must examine everything, and soak up learning the way the roots of a tree soak up water.
James A. BaldwinIt is astonishing that in a country so devoted to the individual, so many people should be afraid to speak.
James A. BaldwinIt is only because the world looks on his talent with such a frightening indifference that the artist is compelled to make his talent important.
James A. Baldwin