This time I read the title of the painting: Girl Interrupted at Her Music. Interrupted at her music: as my life had been, interrupted in the music of being seventeen, as her life had been, snatched and fixed on canvas: one moment made to stand still and to stand for all the other moments, whatever they would be or might have been. What life can recover from that?
Susanna Kaysen
Related I told her once I wasn’t good at anything. She told me survival is a talent. SUSANNA KAYSEN When I go to a library and I see the librarian at her desk reading, I'm afraid to interrupt her,... AARON SWARTZ This was the first time I thought of S— that day. Her music was beautiful, her voice was beautiful... ROMAN PAYNE For a long time that had seemed to her to be the key to life: Life--real life--was just a solitude w... KEVIN BROCKMEIER It is always fatal to have music or poetry interrupted. GEORGE ELIOT And yet he had loved her. A Bookish girl heedless of her beauty, unconscious of her effect. She'd be... JHUMPA LAHIRI I'm very proud of my love for Whitney Houston. She really changed my life. She made my life a be... NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN If a commission comes in for tuba and gorilla, she'll write a piece for tuba and gorilla, and it'll ... STEVE SWALLOW You're important," Nicholas interrupted quietly catching her face and turning her to peer at him. "Y... LYNSAY SANDS Grandmam, as I have seen in looking back, was the decider of my fate. She shaped my life, without of... WENDELL BERRY At some point, she didn't know when or for how long, she found herself lost, lost in a song. Her eye... JAMES MORRIS Her quality of life had been deteriorating for some time, so I was relieved that she was now at peac... DREW WOJTANIK Mustang...' I rest my hand on her wrist. Despite her strength, it's frail in my hands. Frail as the ... PIERCE BROWN But the only things that interrupted our happy family life came out there on the field, injuries and... CASEY STENGEL I like to open for a band as it brings on sort of a challenge and it makes things more interesting. ... KELLY JONES What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. No time to stand beneath th... WILLIAM HENRY DAVIES We still maintain that travel is not to be interrupted in the world at this point of time. DAVID HEYMANN ... there had been the two little boys. Now they were gone, too. They loved her and called her and s... CATHLEEN SCHINE I always say this about my music, and music in general: Music is like a time capsule. Each album ref... EMINEM I just try to write what I think would really happen, and with grief and tragedy, there are these na... KAUI HART HEMMINGS Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—... DAVID SEDARIS Though there were moments of beauty, Mariam knew for the most part that life had been unkind to her. KHALED HOSSEINI Gary had many plans for the future both with his teaching, especially with his music. It seems very ... MARK LARSON Saving her life was the one acceptable thing I'd done since I met her. The one thing that I was not ... STEPHENIE MEYER No one in my family or my circle of friends had ever had to confront something like this. Jamie was ... NICHOLAS SPARKS What are you wishing for?' Grace interrupted. 'To kiss you,' I said to her. MAGGIE STIEFVATER Emma cites the structure of the [Eating Disorder] Unit as being important to her decision to disenga... CAROL LEE She had it all going for her. She was very popular, she was a great student from a great family, and... J. TYLER MAKEPEACE I held her close to me with my eyes closed, wondering if anything in my life had ever been this perf... NICHOLAS SPARKS It had only been two days – two days – since he’d seen her last, and yet he’d missed her eve... ANGELA B. WADE [Fireheart] was interrupted by a screech from Cloudtail. "Fireheart! Fireheart, Brightpaw isn't dead... ERIN HUNTER She wanted an Angel of Music . . . an angel who would make her believe in herself at last. I'd been ... SUSAN KAY If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some... CHARLES DARWIN If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some... CHARLES DARWIN One of the many innovations of modernism was the new demands it placed on the audience. Music, paint... PETER WATSON Wildness had never been a part of her life. Home, work, home, work. That's all her life had consiste... GENA SHOWALTER At art college, I started to do music and then painting and drawing - and that would have been my id... SEAN BEAN In my life, looking at other women who have been pregnant while writing, I always feel like it's... KELIS Why did he leave so fast at the end? Who was on the phone? A girl? That's it, he must have a girlfri... SARAH OCKLER I've been playing music all my life, from being a choir soloist at Symphony Hall as a youngster to p... ARTHUR GODFREY She observed the dumb-show by which her neighbour was expressing her passion for music, but she refr... MARCEL PROUST I would never say I will stay in electronic music for the rest of my life. I will always do whatever... ZEDD But our efforts to improve this place have been interrupted by the city. SCOTT MONROE Music is the one art we all have inside. We may not be able to play an instrument, but we can sing a... FRED ROGERS When it was over, she gathered him in her arms. And told him the terrible irony of her life. Th... MELINA MARCHETTA I once knew a girl that meant the world to me, she was just amazing. She's that one girl in my life ... MAHMOUD EL HALLAB I was at this meeting, and I was the only person who dared to stand up for her, ... The department h... DAVID GRAEBER Leisure What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and star... W.H. DAVIES ... I retraced my steps, walked up to her, and in another moment would have certainly said, "Madam!"... FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY I mean, if Beethoven had been killed in a plane crash at twenty-two, the history of music would have... TOM STOPPARD Jamestown with her wild train she as freely frequented, as her fathers habitation; and during the ti... JOHN SMITH I have been doing music all my life so everyday when I get up I expect music will be part of it. GEORGE BENSON Music is as integral to me as my own DNA. My life has become a continual soundtrack, with music unde... DANIELLE DE NIESE Noah nods right as Echo opens the door to the bedroom. She stretches her long sleeves over her finge... KATIE MCGARRY Cultivate the frontal portion of her brain as much as that of man is cultivated, and she will stand ... ERNESTINE ROSE What made more sense was that the bargain she was bound to was to go on living as she had been doing... ALICE MUNRO One of her secret fantasies had been that, as a girl who could code, she would work in the one place... MAUREEN F. MCHUGH They were fine and slender. At any given moment they stopped every bit as much lines, every bit much... CLARICE LISPECTOR I felt hollowed out. My mom's death was not useful. I felt a shot of rage at her, and then imagined ... GILLIAN FLYNN Her heart had already been broken many times over, and yet she still believed she was destined to me... PAULO COELHO At the point when continuity was interrupted by the first nuclear explosion, it would have been too ... SALVATORE QUASIMODO Never in her life – she could swear it from the bottom of her soul – had she ever intended to do... THOMAS HARDY Any commands which Congress may have for me shall be cheerfully executed by one of their earliest so... MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE As her feet beat the concrete ground beneath them, her chest began to ache. It had been a long time ... ROSS CALIGIURI Dr Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature ANITA BROOKNER Dr Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature. ANITA BROOKNER If I had not had music in my life, I would be the neurasthenic vision of the playwright. MARSHA NORMAN My name is Ashallyn'darkmyr Tallyn, third son of the Unseelie Court...Let it be known--from this day... JULIE KAGAWA My life is music, and in some vague, mysterious and subconscious way, I have always been driven by a... STAN GETZ Florence could feel a constriction in her chest…She had been foolish enough to hope that whatever ... SANA KRASIKOV Florence could feel a constriction in her chest…She had been foolish enough to hope that whatever ... SANA KRASIKOV She was trying to say something else; she was trying to say that the inability to articulate what on... NICK HORNBY I bet that guy was as obsessed with Sarah as I am with this other girl, and I bet he promised himsel... MARKUS ZUSAK It had been her mercy, her refusal to kill a known enemy, that had made me realize the Order was wro... JULIE KAGAWA So Witch Baby played. Tossing her head, sucking in her cheeks and popping up with the impact of each... FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK And if he had judged her harshly? If her life were a simple rosary of hours, her life simple and str... JAMES JOYCE He had been violently confused by her real presence in the opposite inaccessible corner. For months ... A.S. BYATT There were plenty of women around who dressed smartly, and plenty more who dressed to impress, but t... HARUKI MURAKAMI There had been a time in Godfrey's life when, had she stood before him in all her splendor, he would... GEORGE MACDONALD I thought I was in love with Leola, by which I meant that if I could have found her in a quiet corne... ROBERTSON DAVIES Life had taught her that consequences were ugly and painful, and seldom worth the pleasure they had ... AMY HARMON Her thoughts ran away to her girlhood with its passionate longing for adventure and she remembered t... SHERWOOD ANDERSON Me being an ant, at her mountain, I would have tried my best for my voice to reach her peak. But our... ANTHONY LICCIONE I've been loving music all my life. RANDY SAVAGE Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever ... SUSANNA KAYSEN Books had always been a comfort to her. More than comfort. There were times when reading came close ... SARAH MORGAN She thought often of her own death, but without fear, loss having been her only belonging in this li... ESI EDUGYAN From the Kindle Book Reflections in the Mirror of Life: “In a slum somewhere in India As... THE PROPHET OF LIFE Maya Angelou had the ability to glean inspiration out of pain. THE PROPHET OF LIFE If we cannot always be entirely sane in our relationships, the kindest thing we can do for those who... THE SCHOOL OF LIFE Someone who's like Angelina Jolie because she isn't scared of not being pretty. She's my favourtie a... CHRISTINA AGUILERA Music is a really powerful way for me to catalyze all kinds of things. It's always been the cure... JUANES Jessie's family I had known because they had been in the arts world with her older sister for years.... PATTY GAIR I begged her to get another job. I begged her to date other people and start a different life. But t... MARCIA LEWIS What kind of man would I have been if I had not been there to help her? I felt along with her - not ... CHARLES BRONSON Sir Joshua would have been glad to take her portrait; and he would have had an easier task than the ... GEORGE ELIOT I would go home and be this insular girl who listened to music and brooded in her bedroom. KAREN ELSON That was one of the reasons I became a writer - I never really had that many friends. I would read a... DANA SPIOTTA ...it is very well worth while to be tormented for two or three years of one's life, for the sake of... JANE AUSTEN Before she realized he was next to her, he had placed his hands over hers on the countertop, then ho... ALICE HOFFMAN
More Susanna Kaysen
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SUSANNA HOFFS On its 2015 list, the Fish and Wildlife Service included the 'ea, or hawksbill turtle, as well a... SUSANNA MOORE She wore a gown the color of storms, shadows, and rain and a necklace of broken promises and regrets... SUSANNA CLARKE Time and I have quarrelled. All hours are midnight now. I had a clock and a watch, but I destroyed t... SUSANNA CLARKE The pools had been written onto the fields by the rain. The pools were a magic worked by the rain, j... SUSANNA CLARKE In 'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell,' I wanted to create the most convincing story of mag... SUSANNA CLARKE I always really liked magicians. I'm not even sure why - except that they know things other peop... SUSANNA CLARKE If it hadn't been for Bill Macdonald's book 'The True Intrepid,' I might never have ... SUSANNA KEARSLEY When I'm dealing with the 18th century, as I do in 'The Firebird,' the difficulty isn... SUSANNA KEARSLEY Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God,... SUSANNA WESLEY The exhibit will focus on Slovaks in church and school, in business, sports, entertainment, politics... SUSANNA SWADE As a girl, I sat awestruck at the feet of Harriet Ne, author of 'Tales of Molokai'. It was s... SUSANNA MOORE Nature, reason, and Christianity recognize no other. Pride may say Nay; but Pride was always a liar,... SUSANNA MOODIE The very shapes of the trees were like frozen screams. SUSANNA CLARKE No one recognizes me. And I hope that I can always go out without being recognized. Maybe that limit... SUSANNA THOMPSON In peacetime some sort of introduction is generally required to make a person's acquaintance; in war... SUSANNA CLARKE The recent controversy over the portrayal of Ken Taylor and his embassy staff in the movie 'Argo... SUSANNA KEARSLEY The mind of youth eagerly catches at promised pleasure: pure and innocent by nature, it thinks not o... SUSANNA ROWSON Want is the mistress of invention SUSANNA CENTLIVRE We insist on these commissions finding and naming the officials responsible for the negligence that ... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA Ah, Hope! what would life be, stripped of thy encouraging smiles, that teach us to look behind the d... SUSANNA MOODIE We became convinced that there was misinformation on many issues. SUSANNA DUDIYEVA Lying is a thriving vocation. SUSANNA CENTLIVRE For, though the room was silent, the silence of half a hundred cats is a peculiar thing, like fifty ... SUSANNA CLARKE Such nonsense!" declared Dr Greysteel. "Whoever heard of cats doing anything useful!" "Except f... SUSANNA CLARKE We spoke about those who perished, those who had their lives cut short. We spoke about irresponsibil... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA It was a difficult conversation -- but we had it. We hope results will follow from this meeting. He ... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA He can't comprehend what we've been through. He's a father. I want to tell him what we've been throu... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA We need to look him in the eyes and tell him that he is responsible for the deaths of our children..... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA The government is supposed to guarantee our lives, take responsibility for our lives, and they haven... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA We will ask questions and demand an answer. SUSANNA DUDIYEVA We ask questions, and they don't answer. SUSANNA DUDIYEVA We were outraged that no officials came ... when they carry responsibility for what happened. These ... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA It is important in principle to know the truth so that something like this cannot happen again, and ... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA The most painful questions are left unanswered. SUSANNA DUDIYEVA I have been quite put out of temper this morning and someone ought to die for it. SUSANNA CLARKE Without words, thought couldn't express itself. SUSANNA HALL You've got to sing like you don't need the money. You've got to love like you'll never get hurt. You... SUSANNA CLARK I was born in the city of Brantford, Ontario, Canada - but by the time I'd left high school, I... SUSANNA KEARSLEY The rehearsal process is the most important thing to me, so working with colleagues who are effusive... SUSANNA PHILLIPS So, you see, my heart is held forever by this place," she said. "I cannot leave. SUSANNA KEARSLEY Tis action moves the world....[in] the game of chess, mind that: ye cannot leave your men to stand u... SUSANNA KEARSLEY In some ways, 'Mansfield Park' is 'Pride and Prejudice' turned inside out. SUSANNA CLARKE 'Pride and Prejudice' is often compared to 'Cinderella,' but Jane Austen's real ... SUSANNA CLARKE I think we said everything that we wanted to say. We spoke about responsibility, the fate of childre... SUSANNA DUDIYEVA Large parties given to very young children... foster the passions of vanity and envy, and produce a ... SUSANNA MOODIE And how shall I think of you?' He considered a moment and then laughed. 'Think of me with my nose in... SUSANNA CLARKE I can write most places. I particularly like writing on trains. Being between places is quite libera... SUSANNA CLARKE It [Ashfair House] was an old fashioned house—the sort of house in fact, as Strange expressed it, ... SUSANNA CLARKE Transgressive to me means breaking the rules and sinning. I don't see myself as breaking the rul... SUSANNA MOORE But the other Ministers considered that to employ a magician was one thing, novelists were quite ano... SUSANNA CLARKE Perhaps I am too tame, too domestic a magician. But how does one work up a little madness? I meet wi... SUSANNA CLARKE When he awoke it was dawn. Or something like dawn. The light was watery, dim and incomparably sad. V... SUSANNA CLARKE I have seen and really liked the varied movie adaptations of the book, but 'Little Women' ha... SUSANNA KEARSLEY Captain Harcourt-Bruce was not only dashing, handsome, and brave, he was also rather romantic. The r... SUSANNA CLARKE The past can teach us, nurture us, but it cannot sustain us. The essence of life is change, and we m... SUSANNA KEARSLEY Sewaktu kanak-kanak aku percaya pada cinta, sama seperti aku percaya pada peri. Namun pada suatu har... SUSANNA TAMARO Most of us are naturally inclined to struggle against the restrictions our friends and family impose... SUSANNA CLARKE And does he like blondes, as well?' Rob laughed. I had forgotten just how great a laugh he had.... SUSANNA KEARSLEY To sit and pass hour after hour in idle chatter with a roomful of strangers is to me the worst sort ... SUSANNA CLARKE Oh! And they read English novels! David! Did you ever look into an English novel? Well, do not troub... SUSANNA CLARKE I reached out my hand, England's rivers turned and flowed the other way... I reached out my han... SUSANNA CLARKE To be more precise it was the color of heartache. SUSANNA CLARKE I am, as far as I can tell, about a month behind Lord Byron. In every town we stop at we discover in... SUSANNA CLARKE And ye sall walk in silk attire,
And siller hae to spare,
Gin ye'll consent to be his bride,
... MISS SUSANNA BLAMIRE I have no wish for a second husband. l had enough of the first. I like to have my own way to lie dow... SUSANNA STRICKLAND MOODIE Jenny, she's aw weet, peer body,
Jenny's like to cry;
For she hes weet her petticoats
In... MISS SUSANNA BLAMIRE AND MISS CATHERINE GILPIN