a sensual urge one would call curiosity.

Recognizing all irony, I still must assert that I am not a writer. So much like a non artist can regard a painting with absolute admiration, I look at and listen to words with similar idolatry. This used to come in the form of fascination with lyrics and quotes, now it is starting to come from the pages of books and from listening to interesting people talk.

Azar Nafisi is an interesting person to hear talk, so I was very happy to have made the icy trek over to Politics and Prose tonight to hear her speak. Some of these quips come from other sources that she was merely quoting, and in my fury of scribbling I might be a bit off on a few words. But here are a few extractions from her talk tonight - a strange mix of soap box politico and humble homage that somehow combined to make an endearing and inspiring talk.


"...a sensual urge one would call curiosity."

"it is the communal sphere that the best of books bring to you."

[a book is] "both burdened and empowered by the books that influenced it"

"governments come and go, only the trace of genius remains"

"we can never become independent without paying homage"

"hope only comes from crisis"

and best of all was when she referred to John Stewart as her "occasional guru" and began to quote his skit from the other night with the puppet Gitmo. Brilliant!