[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fPctiFzSorkLQgYsXu4rsux2QxJrGnL_pvIlfj2oVXY0":3,"$foA3yFCYw7lCISqX9at4JwSDoMufbAO7NZHfg7rAfn1A":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},168611,"Don Novello","D",11,null,"don-novello",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":110},[14,22,30,36,48,59,70,82,93,99],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3644294,"There's some kind of dark symbiosis between lunatics and the Postal Service.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":25,"has_image":18,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":29},2984656,"I’m kind of surprised that so many of those other books were almost exactly like mine. They even follow the form. There were some books that even copied the stamp. It shows so little imagination.",6,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nDon Novello, an American satirical writer and comedian best known for his column \"Mad as Hell\" in The Village Voice, likely penned these words during the 1980s, a time when he was critiquing the lack of originality in media and popular culture. This era saw the rise of mass-market publishing and the proliferation of formulaic storytelling in books, films, and television shows. As Novello navigated this landscape, he became increasingly frustrated with the homogenization of creative expression.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nWhat lies beneath Novello's commentary is a paradoxical tension between conformity and creativity. On one hand, he laments the absence of imagination in contemporary media, suggesting that even novelists were replicating established formulas without adding anything new. However, by pointing out that these books \"followed the form\" and \"even copied the stamp,\" Novello reveals his own awareness of this conformist impulse within himself – acknowledging that, as a satirist, he too was working within existing conventions to comment on their shortcomings.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nToday's creatives would do well to recognize this tension within themselves. Rather than simply rebelling against the status quo or blindly embracing new trends, they should strive for a more nuanced understanding of how conformity and innovation can coexist – even in the service of subverting those very conventions. By acknowledging their own participation in (and critique of) existing forms, creatives can develop a more self-aware approach to their work, one that balances innovation with the need for context and tradition.",{"id":31,"quote_text":32,"author_id":5,"source_id":25,"has_image":18,"author":33,"source":34,"quote_tag":35,"commentary":9},2984643,"I never thought I’d be a writer. I never thought I’d be able to read a book, let alone write one. So if books like this inspire kids to write, or even read a whole book, I think it’s good.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":37,"quote_text":38,"author_id":5,"source_id":39,"has_image":18,"author":40,"source":41,"quote_tag":42,"commentary":9},2125992,"I've done it 30 years. I don't know what there is to gain by doing it 40. But I think there is something about doing it over that length of time that says something. That's seven U.S. presidents and five presidents of McDonald's.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[43],{"id":44,"tag":45},5111550,{"id":46,"tag_name":47},8515,"five",{"id":49,"quote_text":50,"author_id":5,"source_id":39,"has_image":18,"author":51,"source":52,"quote_tag":53,"commentary":9},2125981,"I never thought I'd be a writer. I never thought I'd be able to read a book, let alone write one. So if books like this inspire kids to write, or even read a whole book, I think it's good.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[54],{"id":55,"tag":56},5111541,{"id":57,"tag_name":58},60,"writing",{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":39,"has_image":18,"author":62,"source":63,"quote_tag":64,"commentary":9},2125972,"Theres some kind of dark symbiosis between lunatics and the Postal Service.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[65],{"id":66,"tag":67},5111532,{"id":68,"tag_name":69},2681,"dark",{"id":71,"quote_text":72,"author_id":5,"source_id":39,"has_image":18,"author":73,"source":74,"quote_tag":75,"commentary":81},2125962,"I'm kind of surprised that so many of those other books were almost exactly like mine. They even follow the form. There were some books that even copied the stamp. It shows so little imagination.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[76],{"id":77,"tag":78},5111519,{"id":79,"tag_name":80},290304,"littles","**The Backstory**\n\nThis quote is likely from Don Novello, an American actor and comedian best known for creating the character of Father Guido Sarducci. Given his background in comedy writing and improvisation, it's reasonable to assume that this sentiment was expressed during a period when he was reflecting on the state of satire or humor in the entertainment industry.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nNovello's statement reveals a subtle yet profound critique of the creative process. On the surface, it appears as a commentary on plagiarism, but upon closer examination, it hints at a deeper frustration with the lack of originality and risk-taking in creative pursuits. The true concern lies not in the copying itself, but rather in the fact that this behavior is done without any attempt to truly innovate or push boundaries.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nWhen facing the daunting task of creating something new, remember that the greatest disservice you can do to yourself and your audience is to play it too safe. Instead of simply mimicking others, strive for a more nuanced understanding of the form or genre you're working within, and then challenge those conventions with bold, imaginative strokes.",{"id":83,"quote_text":84,"author_id":5,"source_id":39,"has_image":18,"author":85,"source":86,"quote_tag":87,"commentary":9},2125941,"Tommy Smothers is my longest mentor, and Dave Eggers is my youngest.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[88],{"id":89,"tag":90},5111510,{"id":91,"tag_name":92},6950,"mentor",{"id":94,"quote_text":95,"author_id":5,"source_id":39,"has_image":18,"author":96,"source":97,"quote_tag":98,"commentary":9},2125934,"I wrote that letter, and the one to Nixon. And I wrote more letters, and I thought it might be a magazine article. At that time I sent it to Esquire and Playboy, but anyway, I kept writing, and all of sudden I had enough and thought, well maybe it is a book.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":100,"quote_text":101,"author_id":5,"source_id":39,"has_image":18,"author":102,"source":103,"quote_tag":104,"commentary":9},2125916,"I always thought: doesn't Sandra Day O'Connor ever say, You know, I've been in court for longer than Clarence Thomas. Maybe I should have one stripe.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[105],{"id":106,"tag":107},5111476,{"id":108,"tag_name":109},11470,"court",{"currentPage":111,"totalPages":112,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":113},1,2,10]