Related quotes: Writing a novel is not...

Writing a novel is not merely going on a shopping expedition across the border to an unreal land: it is hours and years spent in the factories, the streets, the cathedrals of the imagination.

quote by Janet Frame
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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And They Obey

Smash down the cities.
Knock the walls to pieces.
Break the factories and cathedrals, warehouses
and homes
Into loose piles of stone and lumber and black
burnt wood:
You are the soldiers and we command you.
Build up the cities.
Set up the walls again.
Put together once more the factories and cathedrals,
warehouses and homes
Into buildings for life and labor:
You are workmen and citizens all: We
command you.

poem by Carl Sandburg
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He who has seen one cathedral ten times has seen something; he who has seen ten cathedrals once has seen but little; and he who has spent half an hour in each of a hundred cathedrals has seen nothing at all.

quote by Sinclair Lewis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Shopping

Were buying and selling your history
How we go about it is no mystery
We check it with the city, then change the law
Are you looking forward?
Now you want some more
Were s-h-o-pp-i-n-g, were shopping
Its easy when you got all the information
Inside help, no investigation
(no investigation, investigation)
No questions in the house, no give and take
Theres a big bang in the city
Were all on the make
Were s-h-o-pp-i-n-g, were shopping
Were s-h-o-pp-i-n-g, were shopping
Our gain is your loss, thats the price you pay
I heard it in the house of commons: everythings for sale
Were shopping
Were shopping
Were s-h-o-pp-i-n-g, were shopping
Were s-h-o-pp-i-n-g, were shopping
Ah ah ah, ah ah ah, ah ah ah, ah ah
Ah ah ah, ah ah ah, ah ah ah, ah ah
Were s-h-o-pp-i-n-g, were shopping
Were s-h-o-pp-i-n-g, were shopping
(were shopping
Were shopping
Were shopping
Were shopping
Were shopping)

song performed by by Pet Shop Boys
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Art of Border

It could be a shield, it could be a cage
The safety sealant, the tying trap
The filter line, the block wall
Border, border, border

The sacred culture, the love crossing
The moral limit, the emotion frame
The rule control, the life permission
Border, border, border

The friction fight, the freedom cut
The bond mark, the fence crack
The counter side, the edge of touch
Border, border, border

Can you keep it as promise
Can you bridge it by hope
The song from deserted corner
Border, border, border

poem by Maria Sudibyo
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All The Years

You ask me what I think,
I tell you you ignore it.
The reasons for it make me crazy.
You ask me what is right,
Huh, you never hear it.
Youre never nowhere near it baby.
I spent my life believing,
It would not end this way.
All the years we wasted
All the years we tried
All the restless hours
All the times we cried.
You ask me what I want,
I got no answer.
I know Im only dancing faster.
So now were stuck with us,
With you and all your stories.
Whos the fool and whod the liar.
I spent my life believing
It would not end this way.
All the years we wasted
All the years we tried.
All the restless hours.
All the times we cried.
All the years we gambled.
All the years you lied.
All the hopeless dreamers.
All the dreams that died.
Repeat chorus

song performed by by Chicago
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Imaginations Real

Voices across all the nation,
Echo in my mind.
In the streets,
In the factories,
In the towns.
Living out what imagination made real.
Got to leave the old world behind,
Use a fantasy,
Imagination is real.
Chorus
Im so much in love,
I cant explain,
Imaginations real.
Build your dreams,
And make them strong,
Lmaginations real.
Imaginations real,
Imaginations real,
Imaginations real,
Imaginations real.
No solution,
Hatred,
Fear of whats to come.
Dont cry,
Cant you feel it inside,
Cant you see its the only way it can be.
For our past has left us alone,
With a cold reality,
Imagination made real.
Chorus
If you use a dream
To change a mind,
Then imaginations real.
Think with your heart,
And you will see,
Imaginations real,
Imaginations real,
Imaginations real,
Imaginations real.

song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Border

Written by russ ballard and dewey bunnell, 1983
Found on your move, america in concert (85), ventura highway and other favorites, the very best of america, encore: more greatest hits, premium gold collection, centenary collection, and highway
You must be lost in a faraway land
I searched forever your footprints in the sand
I feel you need me, I have to answer
That desperate call that I do not understand
A burning bridge, a lonely highway
Another dark night thinking alone
What couldve happened, am I just dreaming
It doesnt matter but theres one thing that I know
If I could make it to the border
If I could make it to the coast
If I could make it to the border
Id be in the arms of the girl I love the most
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Make it to the border
So on and on I keep on running
To make the border before the light
Just one more river, then I can make it
Again youll be in my arms tonight
If I could make it to the border
If I could make it to the coast
If I could make it to the border
Id be in the arms of the girl I love the most
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Make it to the border
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Make it to the border
If I could make it to the border
If I could make it to the coast
If I could make it to the border
Id be in the arms of the girl I love the most
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Make it to the border
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Make it to the border
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Make it to the border
Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do
Make it to the border ...

song performed by by America
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fiction

she's lost in coma where it's beautiful.
Intoxicated from the deep sleep, deep sleep.
Do you wonder what it's like living in a permanent imagination.
Sleeping to escape reality, but you like it like that.
Guilty by design, she's nothing more than fiction.
She dreams in digital, cause it's better than nothing.
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital, cause it's better than nothing
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital. she dreams in digital.
And your pixel army can't save you now.
My finger is on the kill switch.
I remember i used to compose your dreams, control your dreams.
And don't be afraid to expose yourself before i shut you down.
You made some changes since the virus caught you sleeping.
Guilty by design, she's nothing more than fiction.
She dreams in digital, cause it's better than nothing.
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital, cause it's better than nothing
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital. she dreams in digital.
She's guilty by design. (cause it's better than nothing.)
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital. (she's nothing more than fiction.)
Cause it's better than nothing. now that control is gone.
It seems unreal.
She's dreaming in digital.

song performed by by Orgy
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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These old ballparks are like cathedrals in America. We don't have big old Gothic cathedrals like they do in Europe. But we got baseball parks.

quote by Jimmy Buffett
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Lonely Hours

Lonely hours
spent
watching the rain
like tears
on the window pane.

Lonely hours
wishing
you were here with me
as I gaze
over another cup of tea.

Lonely hours
spent
alone, crying
dying slowly
because you are gone.

1979

poem by Penni Currie
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Almost Unreal

Babe, come in from the cold, and put that coat to rest.
Step inside, take a deep breath, and do what you do best.
Yea, kick of those shoes, and leave those city streets.
I do believe love came our way, and fate did arrange for us to meet.
I love when you do that hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, youve got the power to heal.
You give me that look, its almost unreal, its almost unreal.
Hey, we cant stop the rain, lets find a place, by the fire.
Sometimes I feel, strange as it seams, youve been in my dreams all my life.
I love when you do that hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, youve got the power to heal.
You give me that look, its almost unreal, its almost unreal.
Its a crazy world out there. lets hope our prayers are in good hands tonight.

song performed by by Roxette
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Fiction (Dreams In Digital)

Shes lost in coma where its beautiful.
Intoxicated from the deep sleep, deep sleep.
Do you wonder what its like living in a permanent imagination.
Sleeping to escape reality, but you like it like that.
Guilty by design, shes nothing more than fiction.
She dreams in digital, cause its better than nothing.
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
Shes dreaming in digital, cause its better than nothing
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
Shes dreaming in digital. she dreams in digital.
And your pixel army cant save you now.
My finger is on the kill switch.
I remember I used to compose your dreams, control your dreams.
And dont be afraid to expose yourself before I shut you down.
You made some changes since the virus caught you sleeping.
Guilty by design, shes nothing more than fiction.
She dreams in digital, cause its better than nothing.
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
Shes dreaming in digital, cause its better than nothing
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
Shes dreaming in digital. she dreams in digital.
Shes guilty by design. (cause its better than nothing.)
Now that control is gone. it seems unreal.
Shes dreaming in digital. (shes nothing more than fiction.)
Cause its better than nothing. now that control is gone.
It seems unreal.
Shes dreaming in digital.

song performed by by Orgy
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Spaced

Spaced in time, child of mine
Doin twenty years on the way
Fire and steel, earth unreal
Find another planet to stay
Papa died, ma survived
Tellin me about her ordeal
And the soul she could not feel
cause they made her so unreal
Lightnin years disappearsne
Twenty million years on my brain
Synthesize, overrides
Tryin to keep from goin insane
And my soul I can not feel
cause they made me so unreal
Spaced enough to know I feel theres nothing out there
Spaced enough to know I feel I really dont care
Spaced enough to feel Im really losin my mind
And Im never ever goin back
I lost the track
No one even knows Im alive
Spaced without a trace
Waitin for the word to arrive
Im the last man to survive

song performed by by Aerosmith
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Crossing The Border

Hey, take it and run, child
Ill ask you no questions
We traded our fortunes
Crossing the border
I hope you got lucky
You needed a change
I--i made it without you
Crossing the border
We were like a couple of wetbacks running
Standin on the banks of some dangerous river
Lookin into a brave new country
Risky business
Crossing the border
Ahhh, you--you doubled my chances
I--i sure do want your freedom
I--Ill never forget you
Crossing the border
Back when we were out there
Crossing the border
Layin it on the line
Crossing the border

song performed by by Kris Kristofferson
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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We were in the Arabian Desert for nine months. And I was having the time of my life. It could have been an archeological expedition, a military expedition.

quote by Peter O'Toole
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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I spent several years acquiring the obsessive, day-to-day discipline that's needed if you want to write professionally, then several more, highly valuable years studying fiction writing at the University of Iowa.

quote by John Dalton
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The border between the Real and the Unreal is not fixed, but just marks the last place where rival gangs of shamans fought each other to a standstill.

quote by Robert Anton Wilson
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Thank You For Writing A Poem For Me

i am your fan
many years and more years to come
i shall remain
your avid fan

thank you for writing me a poem
about love
and sleepless nights
thank you for writing about the ward
the man bound in
straitjacket
that glass of water that has to be taken everyday
to slide the pills smoothly
in your throat
thank you for writing about the children
who shall still find their mothers
their homes
thank you for bearing with us all these years
when we ourselves
have nothing to write anymore
thank you for being there
always and forever.

poem by Ric S. Bastasa
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And, of course, millions of us cross the border to work in US homes and gardens and factories and carpentry shops and restaurants, and if you go to a restaurant pretty much anywhere in the United States, the chances are that the dishes will be washed by a Mexican.

quote by Alma Guillermoprieto
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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