Michael Chabon - As he watched Joe stand, blazing, on the fire escape,...

As he watched Joe stand, blazing, on the fire escape, Sammy felt an ache in his chest that turned out to be, as so often occurs when memory and desire conjoin with a transient effect of weather, the pang of creation. The desire he felt, watching Joe, was unquestionably physical, but in the sense that Sammy wanted to inhabit the body of his cousin, not possess it. It was, in part, a longing--common enough among the inventors of heroes--to be someone else; to be more than the result of two hundred regimens and scenarios and self-improvement campaigns that always ran afoul of his perennial inability to locate an actual self to be improved. Joe Kavalier had an air of competence, of faith in his own abilities, that Sammy, by means of constant effort over the whole of his life, had finally learned only to fake.

Michael Chabon

They Said So®

Michael Chabon Quotes

;

As he watched Joe stand, blazing, on the fire escape, Sammy felt an ache in his chest that turned out to be, as so often occurs when memory and desire conjoin with a transient effect of weather, the pang of creation. The desire he felt, watching Joe, was unquestionably physical, but in the sense that Sammy wanted to inhabit the body of his cousin, not possess it. It was, in part, a longing--common enough among the inventors of heroes--to be someone else; to be more than the result of two hundred regimens and scenarios and self-improvement campaigns that always ran afoul of his perennial inability to locate an actual self to be improved. Joe Kavalier had an air of competence, of faith in his own abilities, that Sammy, by means of constant effort over the whole of his life, had finally learned only to fake. Michael Chabon

They Said So®

Keywords

watched joe stand blazing fire escape sammy felt ache chest turned occurs memory desire conjoin transient effect weather pang creation watching unquestionably physical sense wanted inhabit body cousin possess part longing--common inventors heroes-- result hundred regimens scenarios -improvement campaigns ran afoul perennial inability locate actual improved kavalier air competence faith abilities means constant effort life finally learned fake

Explore other Authors

Steven Herrick

Epicurus

Herodotus

Douglas Adams

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Russian Proverb

Ed O'Brien

Drew Brees

Alan Thicke

Susan George

William Goldman

Yahoo Serious

If you are using this quote in any webpage , printmedia or any other places please use the following methods to cite this quotation.

MLA Style Citation

"A quote by Michael Chabon" theysaidso.com, 2024. May 10, 2024. https://theysaidso.com/quote/michael-chabon-as-he-watched-joe-stand-blazing-on-the-fire-escape-sammy-felt-an

APA Style Citation

"A quote by Michael Chabon" (n.d.). theysaidso.com. Retrieved May 10, 2024, from theysaidso.com web site : https://theysaidso.com/quote/michael-chabon-as-he-watched-joe-stand-blazing-on-the-fire-escape-sammy-felt-an

Chicago Style Citation

"A quote by Michael Chabon". theysaidso.com, 2024. https://theysaidso.com/quote/michael-chabon-as-he-watched-joe-stand-blazing-on-the-fire-escape-sammy-felt-an , accessed May 10, 2024.

Comments

Authentication required

You must log in to post a comment.

There are no comments yet.