Creative Wisdom from Fran Lebowitz
Fran Lebowitz in a rare pose — smiling. Images courtesy of Netlfix.
Nobody feels just so-so about author and humorist Fran Lebowitz. “Caustic wit or boring complainer?” asked one curious individual.
Still, she is one of the few living writers whose personality – wry, entertaining, grumpy – has turned into a vibe, one that plays especially well in New York where she has lived for more than 50 years.
She is a clear-eyed social observer whose books include Metropolitan Life and Social Studies, though her most compelling recent work might be Pretend It’s a City, the Martin Scorcese-directed Netflix documentary about her life.
In it, Lebowitz manages to throw shade just about everywhere she can, including at certain artists (“If you can eat it, it's not art.”), people who do yoga (“The last time I had a rug, I was in kindergarten.”), and the L Train ("Let me tell you what smells horrible on the L train: The passengers.")
So caustic wit or boring complainer? To help you decide, here are 10 cheeky drops of creative wisdom from Lebowitz.
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1. “A hobby is, of course, an abomination, as are all consuming interests and passions that do not lead directly to large, personal gain.”
2. “Stand firm in your refusal to remain conscious during algebra. In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.”
3. “Very few people possess true artistic ability. It is therefore both unseemly and unproductive to irritate the situation by making an effort. If you have a burning, restless urge to write or paint, simply eat something sweet and the feeling will pass. Your life story would not make a good book. Do not even try.”
Lebowitz in one of her elements — New York City.
4. “That I am totally devoid of sympathy for, or interest in, the world of groups is directly attributable to the fact that my two greatest needs and desires — smoking cigarettes and plotting revenge — are basically solitary pursuits.”
5. “The best fame is a writer's fame. It's enough to get a table at a good restaurant, but not enough to get you interrupted when you eat.”
6. “A salad is not a meal. It is a style.”
Lebowitz in another one of her elements — among books.
7. “Great people talk about ideas, average people talk about things, and small people talk about wine.”
8. “I write so slowly, I could write with my own blood and not hurt myself.”
9. “Original thought is like original sin: both happened before you were born to people you could not possibly have met.”
10. “There is no such thing as inner peace. There is only nervousness or death.”
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