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Mark Slouka

27quotes

Mark Slouka


A Literary Voice on Identity and Humanity


Full Name and Common Aliases


Mark Slouka is a writer and literary critic whose full name is often associated with his works of fiction and nonfiction.

Birth and Death Dates


Born in 1967, Mark Slouka's life has been marked by an unwavering dedication to storytelling and critical inquiry. His current status as alive means that his impact continues to grow with each new work.

Nationality and Profession(s)


American by birth, Mark Slouka is a writer, editor, and literary critic whose work traverses the realms of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism.

Early Life and Background


Growing up in a family that valued literature, Mark Slouka's early exposure to words has been instrumental in shaping his writing career. His formative years likely instilled in him a deep appreciation for language and its potential to capture the human experience.

Major Accomplishments


Throughout his career, Mark Slouka has received numerous accolades for his contributions to literature. Notably, he was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1994, which provided him with a significant boost towards realizing his creative vision.

Notable Works or Actions


Mark Slouka's writing portfolio is diverse and extensive, encompassing both fiction and nonfiction works. His novels often explore themes of identity, belonging, and the human condition, as seen in "Black Fish" (2007) and "God's Fool" (2011). Additionally, his literary criticism has appeared in publications such as _The New York Times Book Review_ and _Bookforum_. These works demonstrate his ability to engage with readers on multiple levels.

Impact and Legacy


Mark Slouka's influence extends far beyond his written words. His exploration of the human condition through his fiction and nonfiction has created a space for reflection and discussion within literary circles. By tackling complex issues, he challenges readers to think critically about their place in the world.

Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered


Mark Slouka's writing is widely regarded due to its thought-provoking nature. His ability to craft narratives that are both deeply personal and universally relatable has earned him a reputation as a significant voice in contemporary literature. Readers often turn to his works for guidance on navigating the complexities of identity, belonging, and the human experience.

Quotes by Mark Slouka

Mark Slouka's insights on:

We’re angry about this, upset about that, but who has the time to do anything anymore? There are those reports to report on, memos to remember, e-mails to deflect or delete. They bury us like snow.
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We’re angry about this, upset about that, but who has the time to do anything anymore? There are those reports to report on, memos to remember, e-mails to deflect or delete. They bury us like snow.
MS
Life isn’t simple. Literature shouldn’t be either.
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Life isn’t simple. Literature shouldn’t be either.
MS
Pleasure and pain are immediate; knowledge, retrospective. A steel ball, suspended on a string, smacks into its brothers and nothing happens: no shock of recognition, no sudden epiphany. We go about our business, buttering the toast, choosing gray socks over brown. But here’s the thing: just because we haven’t understood something doesn’t mean we haven’t been shaped by it.
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Pleasure and pain are immediate; knowledge, retrospective. A steel ball, suspended on a string, smacks into its brothers and nothing happens: no shock of recognition, no sudden epiphany. We go about our business, buttering the toast, choosing gray socks over brown. But here’s the thing: just because we haven’t understood something doesn’t mean we haven’t been shaped by it.
MS
Now and then I’d catch my mother looking at my like she was thinking about her life, like she was about to say something, but she never did. I didn’t expect it. Sometimes it’s better not to go back – just settle accounts as they are, call it even.
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Now and then I’d catch my mother looking at my like she was thinking about her life, like she was about to say something, but she never did. I didn’t expect it. Sometimes it’s better not to go back – just settle accounts as they are, call it even.
MS
Consider it: Who but God could have dreamed a tale so absurd and so heartless?
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Consider it: Who but God could have dreamed a tale so absurd and so heartless?
MS
I distrust the perpetually busy; always have. The frenetic ones spinning in tight little circles like poisoned rats. The slower ones, grinding away their fourscore and ten in righteousness and pain. They are the soul-eaters.
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I distrust the perpetually busy; always have. The frenetic ones spinning in tight little circles like poisoned rats. The slower ones, grinding away their fourscore and ten in righteousness and pain. They are the soul-eaters.
MS
Kafka didn’t save me. He just told me I was drowning.
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Kafka didn’t save me. He just told me I was drowning.
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Literature is literature. Its purpose is to challenge and disorient us, to break us down a little bit so that we are forced to rebuild ourselves. Over time, over the course of many books, we construct a deeper, truer self.
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Literature is literature. Its purpose is to challenge and disorient us, to break us down a little bit so that we are forced to rebuild ourselves. Over time, over the course of many books, we construct a deeper, truer self.
MS
#interview
Maybe I lacked coping skills. Maybe I was weak. I cared for people for no better reason than they seemed to care for me, acknowledge me. It didn’t seem so dangerous at the time.
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Maybe I lacked coping skills. Maybe I was weak. I cared for people for no better reason than they seemed to care for me, acknowledge me. It didn’t seem so dangerous at the time.
MS
#people #weakness #coping
History resists an ending as surely as nature abhors a vacuum; the narrative of our days is a run-on sentence, every full stop a comma in embryo. But more: like thought, like water, history is fluid, unpredictable, dangerous. It leaps and surges and doubles back, cuts unpredictable channels, surfaces suddenly in places no one would expect.
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History resists an ending as surely as nature abhors a vacuum; the narrative of our days is a run-on sentence, every full stop a comma in embryo. But more: like thought, like water, history is fluid, unpredictable, dangerous. It leaps and surges and doubles back, cuts unpredictable channels, surfaces suddenly in places no one would expect.
MS
#history #unpredictability #continuity #predictability
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