"You have to imagine it possible before you can see something. You can have the evidence right in front of you, but if you can't imagine something that has never existed before, it's impossible."

Writing, Right

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"You have to imagine it possible before you can see something. You can have the evidence right in front of you, but if you can't imagine something that has never existed before, it's impossible."

Explore more quotes by Rita Dove

"The joy of working at something to find out what it means to me is what I grew up with."

Joy,

"Under adversity, under oppression, the words begin to fail, the easy words begin to fail. In order to convey things accurately, the human being is almost forced to find the most precise words possible, which is a precondition for literature."

Adversity, Being, Literature, Oppression

"My favorite poets may not be your bread and butter. I have more favorite poems than favorite poets."

Favorite, May, Poems, Poets

"I think reading Shakespeare's plays when I was young was extremely important. He had the ability to make utter strangers come alive."

Reading, Ability, Shakespeare, Strangers

"Libraries are where it all begins."

Literature, Libraries

"All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and think, This is when I became myself."

Time, Childhood, First, Moments

"What is ironic is that Allen Ginsberg's importance was in its twilight for so many years that it took his death to bring it to the front page. He electrified an entire world!"

Death, Importance, Twilight, Years

"I have a high guilt quotient. A poem can go through as many as 50 or 60 drafts. It can take from a day to two years-or longer."

Writing, Day, Guilt, Years

"I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding."

Poetry, Interest

"Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful."

Poetry, Language

Exlpore more Writing quotes

"It just happens to be the way that I'm made. I have to write things down to feel I fully comprehend them."

Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer

Writing, Understanding, Expression

"Now, practically even better news than that of short assignments is the idea of shitty first drafts. All good writers write them."

Anne Lamott, American Author

Writing, Process, First, Creativity

"Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream."

Mark Twain, American Author

Writing, Lady, Old

"Every article and review and book that I have ever published has constituted an appeal to the person or persons to whom I should have talked before I dared to write it. I never launch any little essay without the hope-and the fear, because the encounter may also be embarrassing-that I shall draw a letter that begins, 'Dear Mr. Hitchens, it seems that you are unaware that It is in this sense that authorship is collaborative with 'the reader.' And there's no help for it: you only find out what you ought to have known by pretending to know at least some of it already.It doesn't matter how obscure or arcane or esoteric your place of publication may be: some sweet law ensures that the person who should be scrutinizing your work eventually does do so."

Christopher Hitchens, American Author

Writing, Authorship, Collaboration, Fear

"The name of a great writer is usually bigger than the title of his book. Both literally and figuratively."

Mokokoma Mokhonoana, South African Philosopher

Writing, Truth, Fame, Identity

"Writing is my pleasure and the play,where I find myself again and again."

Debasish Mridha, American Author

Writing, Pleasure, Play, Self

"It is said that you can't write without a reader. The opposite holds true as well; you can't read without a writer. But if as a single, creative person you are one in the same, then, well.....problem solved! Great writing is born from that which we personally long to read."

Richelle E. Goodrich, American Poet

Writing, Art, Truth, Power, Inspirational

"Edinburgh is a comfortable puddle for a novelist."

Sara Sheridan, Scottish Author

Writing, Creativity, Inspirational, Comfort

"One author said "I write because I want to live a footprint in the sands of history. It's hard to live a footprint in the sands of history when giants are passing through the same sands unless you are one of the giants."

Bangambiki Habyarimana, Rwandan Author

Writing, History, Legacy, Giants

"By applying their observational abilities along with full appliance of their logic and creative powers, writers attempt to create mental maps to share with other people regarding what they learned, think, and believe. The writer's vision can sway readers emotional state and in doing influence what they believe and how they behave."

Kilroy J. Oldster, American Author

Writing, Creativity, Observation, Thought