“Derivative writers seem versatile because they imitate many others, past and present. Artistic originality has only its own self to copy.”
More from Vladimir Nabokov
“Rowdies are never revolutionary, they are always reactionary. It is among the young that…”
“The distortion of a remembered image may not only enhance its beauty with an added…”
“I have no purpose at all when composing my stuff except to compose it. I work hard, I work…”
“Learn to distinguish banality. Remember that mediocrity thrives on 'ideas.'”