Arno Schmidt > Quotes

“A decent human being is ashamed at being somebody's boss!”
― Arno Schmidt, Scenes from the Life of a Faun: A Short Novel

“Nur die phantasielosen flüchten sich in die Realität.”
― Arno Schmidt

“You see, for me [art]'s not one of life's ornaments, rococo relaxation to be greeted affably after a day of hard work; I'm inverted on this : for me it's my very breath, the one thing necessary, and all else is excretion and a latrine.”
― Arno Schmidt, Nobodaddy's Children: Scenes from the Life of a Faun, Brand's Heath, Dark Mirrors

“When an important writer recommends a work to you -- whether by openly naming the title; or by shy=covert use of it (which perhaps is the greater praise) then go right ahead and follow his [sic!, etc] momentous hint ! A man with expertise and taste has done trusty spade-work for you : {pre=reading} and winnowing 1000 volumes of antiquated chaff for you. Not to make grateful use of such a hint would mean my thoughtless=arrogant shoving aside all the precious, irreplaceable hours that a venerable predecessor spent reading for me.”
― Arno Schmidt, Radio Dialogs II

“He who would speak of unknown authors, buried beneath the rubble of centuries, inevitably lays himself open, at least to begin with, to the suspicion of being a crotchety sort with very queer tastes.”
― Arno Schmidt, Radio Dialogs I

“Die Welt der Kunst & Fantasie ist die wahre, the rest is a nightmare.”
― Arno Schmidt

“Freiheit und Frechheit : ein Buchstabe Unterschied.”
― Arno Schmidt, Brand's Haide

“Ein Rezensent kommt mir manchmal vor wie der Mann, der eine Wolke beobachtet und ihr übelnimmt, daß sie nicht die Gestalt des Kamels angenommen hat, das er jeden Tag im Spiegel sieht.”
― Arno Schmidt

“If only humankind would soon succeed in destroying itself; true, I'm afraid : it will take a long time yet, but they'll manage it for sure. They'll have to learn to fly too, so that it will be easier to toss firebrands into cities (a pretty sight : a portly, bronze boat perhaps, from which a couple of mail-clad warriors contemptuously hurl a few flaming armored logs, while from below they shoot at the scaly beasts with howling arrows. They could also easily pour burning oil out of steel pitchers. Or poison. In the wells. By night). Well, they'll manage it all right (if I can come up with that much !). For they pervert all things to evil. The alphabet : it was intended to record timeless poetry or wisdom or memories - but they scrawl myriads of trashy novels and inflammatory pamphlets. What do they deftly make of metals ? Swords and arrow tips. - Fire ? Cities are already smoldering. And in the agora throng the pickpockets and swashbucklers, cutpurses, bawds, quacks and whores. And at best, the rest are simpletons, dandies, and brainless yowlers. And every one of them self-complacent, pretending respectability, bows politely, puffs out coarse cheeks, waves his hands, ogles, jabbers, crows. (They have many words : Experienced : someone who knows plenty of the little underhanded tricks. - Mature : has finally unlearned every ideal. Sophisticated : impertinent and ought to have been hanged long ago.) Those are the small fry; and the : every statesman, politician, orator; prince, general, officer should be throttled on the spot before he has time or opportunity to earn the title at humankind's expense. - Who alone can be great ? Artists and scientists ! And no one else ! And the least of them, if an honest man, is a thousand times greater than the great Xerxes. - If the gods would grant me 3 wishes, one of them would be immediately to free the earth of humankind. And of animals, too (they're too wicked for me as well). Plants are better (except for the insectavores) - The wind has picked up.”
― Arno Schmidt

“Should I get wind of another such rumor, I shall ruthlessly proceed against the person in question - not in a court of law, that is not my way. But I shall dedicate my next book to him ! : the economic and social consequences will teach him a lesson for the rest of his life !”
― Arno Schmidt

“Dichter: erhältst Du den Beifall des Volkes, so frage Dich: was habe ich schlecht gemacht?! Erhält ihn auch Dein zweites Buch, so wirf die Feder fort...”
― Arno Schmidt

“Nothing more grisly and pitiful : than two nations going for each other's nation-antheming throats. (Man, the "animal that bawls hurrah"; as a definition).”
― Arno Schmidt, Nobodaddy's Children: Scenes from the Life of a Faun, Brand's Heath, Dark Mirrors

“Ich bin ein fleißiger Mosaikarbeiter, kein Dichter.”
― Arno Schmidt

“>evil< is also just another word for >toilet<”
― Arno Schmidt, Zettels Traum

“DIE KARTOFFELSORTIERMASCHINE rüttelte im Bogen=Lampen=Licht: Nichts Niemand Nirgends Nie! / Umdient von 4 Lemuren in fahler Tracht: die Schatten flohen manchmal entsetzt vor ihren eigenen Herren davon. (Zaunzu hülfesuchend? – Bei uns iss ooch keene.)”
― Arno Schmidt, KAFF auch Mare Crisium

“It's quite clear : an outsider can, on principle, only value foreign literature that translates well; the truly great artists of language and the fecund experimenters are inaccessible to him; are usually unknown to him in fact !”
― Arno Schmidt, Two Novels: The Stony Heart and B/Moondocks

“Poet: should you receive the applause of the people, ask yourself: what have I done wrong? ! And if your second book is so received as well, then cast away your pen: you can never be great. […] Art for the people? ! : leave that slogan to the Nazis and Communists: it’s just the opposite: the people (everyman!) are obligated to struggle their way to art!”
― Arno Schmidt, Nobodaddy's Children: Scenes from the Life of a Faun, Brand's Heath, Dark Mirrors

“History on the scale is nothing : cold, impersonal, unconvincing, sketchy (false besides)”
― Arno Schmidt, Nobodaddy's Children: Scenes from the Life of a Faun, Brand's Heath, Dark Mirrors

“Im ganzen Buch kommt nicht einmal das Wort Corned Beef vor.”
― Arno Schmidt

“human behavior's gro'n so atrocious, that when one calls upon God, it's gen'rally the devil who answers... -?-”
― Arno Schmidt, Evening Edged in Gold

“Every writer should grab hold of the nettle of reality; and then show us all of it : the black filthy roots; the poison-green viper stalk; the gaudy flower(y pot).”
― Arno Schmidt, Nobodaddy's Children: Scenes from the Life of a Faun, Brand's Heath, Dark Mirrors

“Farbenblindheit ist selten; Kunstblindheit die Regel!”
― Arno Schmidt

“Spell < tear=dropps > with a dubble < p > at the end, and use a < = > to join the words -- I find it looks much more melancholy; ergo, more correct -:”
― Arno Schmidt, KAFF auch Mare Crisium

“(Above all, since the ignorant=rabble are encouritcht (not unsystematickly!) to be voting goats) : no government, no=>church< wants >thinking human beings< who will defend themselves; but=rather perfectly=manipulatable duds. — Are We in agreement?”
― Arno Schmidt, Bottom's Dream

“My life ?! : is not a continuum ! (not simply fractured into white and black pieces by day and night ! For even by day they are all someone else, the fellow who walks to the train; sits in the office; bookworms; stalks through groves; copulates; small-talks; writes; man of a thousand thoughts; of fragmenting categories; who runs; smokes; defecates: listens to the radio; says "Commissioner, sir" : that's me !) : a tray full of glistening snapshots.”
― Arno Schmidt, Nobodaddy's Children: Scenes from the Life of a Faun, Brand's Heath, Dark Mirrors

“ignorance is its own fault, and no cause for pity”
― Arno Schmidt, Nobodaddy's Children: Scenes from the Life of a Faun, Brand's Heath, Dark Mirrors

“Bücher sind ja, irgndwie, MenschnReste -”
― Arno Schmidt, Zettels Traum

“>>I'm cummin' round more'n'more to Your earliest=Levanthine pointa view, Dan, >that the world may well have originated less from a creative and far more from a destructive principle< ... - : aren't we ruled=t'day by a wind that produces great lethargy (&thirst)?...<”
― Arno Schmidt, Zettels Traum

“Er nahm die Brille ab, um mich nicht zu sehen.”
― Arno Schmidt

“Truth is likewise a mere trick to help keep Us alive; so that We don't kick the bucket prematurely.”
― Arno Schmidt, Evening Edged in Gold