The book is a wall. I put myself behind it, out of sight and out of seeing.

Susan Sontag on reading, writing and thoughts on others books and writers.

Following my first post about Susan Sontag's reflections on life and love, today I'm sharing a collection of her quotes about books she read, thoughts on famous authors, writing advice, and more.

I find it very fascinating to be able to read what’s on her mind, to know what she thinks about books and authors that I appreciate or that I haven't read yet, find out what she thinks about the act of writing itself, about what it takes to be a great writer, and how it all somehow connects to life itself.

So, without further ado…

Enjoy!

Susan Sontag by Peter Hujar, 1975, via National Endowment for the Humanities.

On Reading

• My reading is hoarding, accumulating, storing up for the future, filling the hole of the present.

• A lot of nervous energy expended in reading. At 6 a.m. began this entry, + will try to sleep now.

• We rarely do know what people think of us (or, rather, think they think of us) Do I feel guilty about reading what was not intended for my eyes? No. One of the main (social) functions of…