Affy Reads

“Because middling art is the most inspiring kind of art! When something is awful, it’s a joke; a bad piece of art makes people talk, sure, but it’s always in scorn or derision. No one experiences truly ghastly art and wants to improve it. And the same with truly beautiful work. Those heights of achievement are exquisite and capture something ecstatic in the universe, yes. But if one measures themselves against greatness, they’ll always be upset at themselves for not matching it, because few do. But middling art? Art that has strong qualities while still not quite capturing greatness? That is the best kind of art, my friend. And why I love your poetry and that you write it. Because a very bad poet will see your art and wish to try harder. A very good poet will see your art and try to be better. And someone who has never made any art at all will see your art and know it’s possible for them to try, too. For my money, that last is the most valuable. We could all stand to create more than we destroy, especially these days. Even if it is middling. So take heart, Teor. You may be the most important person in this room, because no matter what you do, it’s going to be inspiring.”
― Martin Cahill, Audition for the Fox

“But as Nesi learns, sometimes you just need to act, weather you're ready or not. Sometimes, you build your own tomorrow, and if you're lucky and work hard and remember to chuckle once in a while, you can even get there.”
― Martin Cahill, Audition for the Fox

“People love stories, I love them, but stories are like gods, they care little for the human beings in their care. They don’t care if they’re true or not.”
― Lev Grossman, The Bright Sword

“People thought I wanted to be a perfect knight, and I told myself that, too, but I see now that what I was really trying to do was to control God. I knew that if I was perfect then God could deny me nothing, not even if He wanted to. He would have to love me. I would force His hand.”
― Lev Grossman, The Bright Sword