We read novels because we need stories; we crave them; we canโt live without telling them and hearing them. Stories are how we make sense of our lives and of the world. When weโre distressed and go to therapy, our therapistโs job is to help us tell our story. Life doesnโt come with plots; itโs messy and chaotic; life is one damn, inexplicable thing after another. And we canโt have that. We insist on meaning. And so we tell stories so that our lives make sense.
John DufresneIf you think about it, fiction is nothing more than gossip about the people you've made up.
John DufresneReading is also a creative activity if you're doing it right. You can learn more from a story that's left the tracks than from a successful story.
John DufresneI lost my job and started painting houses with a friend. The marriage had ended about the same time the career did.
John Dufresne