Saturday Writing Quote — on empathy

IMGP2339I adore Meryl Streep, and I loved two things she said in her speech accepting a lifetime achievement award from the Golden Globes.

“An actor’s only job is to enter the lives of people who are different from us, and let you feel what that feels like. …

As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia, said to me once, take your broken heart, make it into art.”

What she said about the role of empathy is equally true of writers. In fact, I believe we could make a good case that practicing empathy should be a primary goal of us as humans, and that the world would be a better place as a result. And when we practice art, we grow our empathic souls. (And so, empathy in the arts is my theme for March quotes.)

Here’s a link to the full text of Meryl’s speech, from the New York Times.

(Photo by Leslie; Avalanche Creek, Glacier National Park)

 

 

 

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