Nathanael West Quotes

United States, Author
October 17, 1903 – December, 22, 1940.

Nathanael West (born Nathan Weinstein) was an American author and screenwriter. He is remembered for two darkly satirical novels: Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) and The Day of the Locust (1939), set respectively in the newspaper and Hollywood film industries.

Also known as Screenwriter

At college, and perhaps for a year afterwards, they had believed in literature, had believed in Beauty and in personal expression as an absolute end. When they lost this belief, they lost everything.

Nathanael West
- Lost
- College
- Belief
Like a dead man, only friction could make him warm or violence make him mobile.

Nathanael West
- Violence
- Mobile
- Friction

Only those who still have hope can benefit from tears.

Nathanael West
- Hope
- Tears
- Benefit
Feeling is of the heart and nerves and the crudeness of its expression has nothing to do with its intensity.

Nathanael West
No dream ever entirely disappears. Somewhere it troubles some unfortunate person and some day, when that person has been sufficiently troubled, it will be reproduced on the lot.

Nathanael West
Numbers constitute the only universal language.

Nathanael West
Every child, everywhere; in the whole world there was not one child who was not gravely, sweetly dancing.

Nathanael West
- World
- Child
- Dancing
Art Is a Way Out. Do not let life overwhelm you. When the old paths are choked with the débris of failure, look for newer and fresher paths. Art is just such a path. Art is distilled from suffering.

Nathanael West
- Art
- Failure
- Path

It's solitary drinking that makes drunkards.

Nathanael West
Man spends a great deal of time making order out of chaos, yet insists that the emotions be disordered. I order my emotions: I am insane.

Nathanael West
- Chaos
- Order
- Insane