AtomicQuote

Donald Barthelme Quote

Mother, have you noticed that this society we’re in tends to be a little…repressive? What does that mean, Eugenie? What does that mean, that strange new word, ‘repressive,’ that I have never heard before? It means…it’s like when you decide to do something, and you get up out of your chair to do it, and you take a step, and then become aware of frosty glances being directed at you from every side. Frosty glances? Your desires are stifled. What desires are you talking about? Just desires in general. Any desires. It’s a whole…I guess atmosphere is the…word…a tendency on the part of the society… You’d better sew some more pillow cases, Eugenie.

Donald Barthelme

Mother, have you noticed that this society we’re in tends to be a little…repressive? What does that mean, Eugenie? What does that mean, that strange new word, ‘repressive,’ that I have never heard before? It means…it’s like when you decide to do something, and you get up out of your chair to do it, and you take a step, and then become aware of frosty glances being directed at you from every side. Frosty glances? Your desires are stifled. What desires are you talking about? Just desires in general. Any desires. It’s a whole…I guess atmosphere is the…word…a tendency on the part of the society… You’d better sew some more pillow cases, Eugenie.

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About Donald Barthelme

Donald Barthelme Jr. (pronounced BAR-thəl-mee; April 7, 1931 – July 23, 1989) was an American short story writer and novelist known for his playful, postmodernist style of short fiction. Barthelme also worked as a newspaper reporter for the Houston Post, was managing editor of Location magazine, director of the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston (1961–1962), co-founder of Fiction (with Mark Mirsky and the assistance of Max and Marianne Frisch), and a professor at various universities. He also was one of the original founders of the University of Houston Creative Writing Program.