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Phillip Lopate Biography

Phillip Lopate (born 1943) is an American film critic, essayist, fiction writer, poet, and teacher. He is the younger brother of former radio host Leonard Lopate.

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Phillip Lopate Quotes

In new work, we need to see the shadow, however faint, of previous literary effort.

Effort, Literary, Needs, See, Shadow

My wife and daughter have accused me of being too silent at breakfast but I don't want to talk when I don't have much to say.

Breakfast, Daughter, Say, Talk, Wife

Confession makes you a more trustworthy narrator.

Confession, Narrator, Narrators, Trustworthy

I've had an enduring appreciation of psychology.

Appreciation, Endure, Enduring, Psychology

Why am I attracted to all these lying quotes all of a sudden? Here’s another one. This one by Phillip Lopate: ‘(Children know it better than adults) that in telling a lie, fidelity is everything. ’

Adults, Attracted, Children, Heres, Lying, Phillip

In the best nonfiction, it seems to me, you're always made aware that you are being engaged with a supple mind at work. The story line or plot in nonfiction consists of the twists and turns of a thought process working itself out.

Consists, Mind, Plot, Process, Story, Twists

Until people see poetry as springing from all of life, they will isolate it in a creativity corner and treat it like a mascot.

Corner, Creativity, Isolate, People, Springing, Treats

I imagined a psychic pain growing inside him (myself) that demanded some physical outlet. Suicide must have been his attempt to give Pain a body, a representation, to put it outside himself. A need to convert inner torment into some outward tangible wound that all could see. It was almost as though suicide were a last-ditch effort at exorcism, in which the person sacrificed his life in order that the devil inside might die.

Exorcism, Pain, Person, See, Suicidal, Suicide

The dinner party is a suburban form of entertainment. Its spread in our big cities represents an insidious Fifth Column suburbanization of the metropolis.

Big, Cities, Dinner, Metropolis, Party

Hedonism can be a rational response to a difficult life.

Difficult, Hedonism, Life, Rational

For most of my life, I have wanted broad impact but now, at 72, I'm not so sure that's always my first priority.

Firsts, Impact, Life, Priorities, Priority

The essay is a wonderful medium. I might mention that some writers who longed to be novelists were better as essayists: Sontag, Baldwin, Vidal, Mary McCarthy, Mailer.

Longed, Mccarthy, Might, Novelists, Wonderful, Writers

My other work, teaching, also is satisfying because I can be with people but in controlled circumstances, which aren't as likely to yield the pain of dealing with family.

Controlled, Family, Likely, Pain, Teaching, Yield

The knowledge that my discriminations are skewed and not always universally desirable doesn't stop me in the least from making them.

Desirable, Discrimination, Discriminations, Knowledge, Making, Universally

I like the freedom that comes with lowered expectations.

Expectations, Freedom, Like, Lowered

The essay must be artistically rendered: You must keep the reader engaged, whether with wit, conflict, mischief, and
or yes, with honesty.

Artistically, Conflict, Honesty, Reader, Wit

Most good essays are conversations with yourself - not just your decided thoughts but your dilemmas.

Conversation, Decided, Dilemma, Essays, Thoughts

The trick is to realize that one is not important, except insofar as one’s example can serve to elucidate a more widespread human trait and make readers feel a little less lonely and freakish.

Example, Except, Important, Lonely, Make, Widespread

You must read a lot of personal essays - you needn't reinvent the wheel.

Essays, Personal Essays, Read, Wheel, Wheels

Indeed, at times it's best to shut up.

Shut, Shut Up, Times

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Phillip Lopate Biography

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