Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Papa Preach to Me


Write drunk, edit sober.

Ernest Hemingway


I think what he was trying to say was first find the freedom to dig, then use discipline to bury it well. Drunkenness can lead to all kinds of behavior which the artist should unashamedly indulge in for the work. In the work, mind you. As George Carlin has eloquently said, in a manner of speaking, drunkenness can be a positive but is best used under controlled conditions. 

(Of course, one can also indulge in drunkenness metaphorically.)

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