William T. Vollmann
William T. Vollmann
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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William Tod Thomas Vollmann is commonly known by his initials W.T. Vollmann.
Birth and Death Dates
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William T. Vollmann was born on February 23, 1959. As of this writing, he is still alive.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Vollmann holds dual American and German citizenship. He is a novelist, essayist, poet, and journalist known for his intense, often brutal explorations of human nature, war, and the effects of globalization on individuals and communities.
Early Life and Background
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Born in Sacramento, California, Vollmann grew up in a middle-class family. His father was an engineer and his mother a painter. Vollmann's early experiences with poverty and social inequality influenced his later work. He dropped out of college at the age of 18 to travel extensively throughout North America, South America, Asia, and Europe.
Major Accomplishments
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Vollmann is best known for his novels that delve into human suffering, war, and social issues. Some notable works include:
"You Bright and Risen Angels" (1987): A post-apocalyptic novel exploring themes of chaos, violence, and redemption.
"The Atlas (1996)*: An epic novel centered on a fictional character named Bill Lasch, who embodies the destructive forces of war.
"Rising Up and Rising Down (2003)*: A five-volume work examining the nature of violence throughout human history.Notable Works or Actions
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Throughout his career, Vollmann has written extensively on topics ranging from war to environmental degradation. Some notable works include:
"The Ice-Shirt" (1990): A novel that explores the impact of European colonization on Native American communities.
* "Fathers and Crows" (2001): An essay collection examining Vollmann's experiences as a father and an observer of human nature.
Impact and Legacy
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Vollmann's work has been widely praised for its unflinching portrayal of human suffering. His writing often challenges readers to confront their own complicity in the destructive forces he describes. His legacy is marked by his dedication to exploring the complexities of human experience, even when faced with overwhelming brutality.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Vollmann's work has been widely acclaimed for its literary merit and unflinching portrayal of human suffering. His quotes often offer insightful commentary on the nature of violence, war, and social inequality.
Quotes by William T. Vollmann
I think that we're all, as human beings, so limited. If we want to write about ourselves, that's fairly easy. And if we write about our friends or our families, we can do that. But if we want to project ourselves somewhere beyond our personal experience, we're going to fail unless we get that experience or we borrow it from others.
What is a woman to me? The answer must be: A projection. Who is projecting, and for what reason, I cannot necessarily know from the performance itself. Mr. Umewaka and Mr. Mikata do not when playing their feminine roles feel themselves to be women; they strive, as I so often in my wonderment repeat, to be nothing; yet when they enact women I see them as women. Meanwhile the psyche within a male body which mechanically performs itself as such may see itself as female.
All that’s happened is inconsequential; it cannot hurt us anymore; there’s only music, which lives within us and beyond us, needing us to express it but capable of surviving forever between expressions.
23 He dreamed that a bomb was singing to him. From far away, the bomb was coming to marry him. The bomb was his destiny, falling on him, screaming.
At least I hope – that the fiction I’ve written so far has flaws but has mostly been successful.
When it comes to revolutionaries, trust only the sad ones. The enthusiastic ones are the oppressors of tomorrow.
Most literary critics agree that fiction cannot be reduced to mere falsehood. Well-crafted protagonists come to life, pornography causes orgasms, and the pretense that life is what we want it to be may conceivably bring about the desired condition. Hence.
Luck, like life itself, is no certain thing, but a loveliness which may alight upon my shoulder but more often seems to be some unknown brilliant quantity in motion.