Emily MacDonald

“We mainly suppose the experiential quality to be an intrinsic quality of the physical object”—this is the so-called systematic illusion of color. Perhaps it is also that of love.”
― Maggie Nelson, Bluets

“The implication of the title is that men get blue, but women get the deepest blue. Another form of aggrandizement, to be sure—one which brings to mind a night I spent in an emergency room in Brooklyn years ago—some mystery ailment, a burning in my lower left side—a woman wailing in the waiting room about having gas from fried chicken—a young doctor inside asked me to rate my pain on a scale of 1 to 10—I was flummoxed, I felt as though I shouldn't be there at all—I said "6"—he said to the nurse, write down "8", since women always underestimate their pain. Men always say "11", he said. I didn't believe him, but I supposed he might know.”
― Maggie Nelson, Bluets

“Cyanosis: "a blueness of the skin due to imperfectly oxygenated blood, as form a malformation of the heart." As in: "His love for me produces a cyanosis" (S. Judd, 1851).”
― Maggie Nelson, Bluets

“One of the men asks, Why blue? People ask me this question often. I never know how to respond. We don't get to choose what or whom we love, I want to say. We just don't get to choose.”
― Maggie Nelson, Bluets