I'd rather call myself a mischief-maker, an imp, rather than a satirist. Satirist sounds so self important. Plus no one is calling himself an imp right now. It makes me feel special.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
A satirist is a man whose flesh creeps so at the ugly and the savage and the incongruous aspects of society that he has to express them as brutally and nakedly as possible in order to get relief.
In a more intellectually rigorous age, I wouldn't be talked about as a satirist at all. I would just be a topical comedian.
I think impersonation is a great art. It's something that I enjoy doing, in a frivolous and lighthearted way. But I don't flatter myself to think I'm an impersonator.
Nothing so completely baffles one who is full of trick and duplicity himself, than straightforward and simple integrity in another.
I think I would explode in flames of irony if I were to option an idea that I was satirizing in a novel.
Whatever talents I possess may suddenly diminish or suddenly increase. I can with ease become an ordinary fool. I may be one now. But it doesn't do to upset one's own vanity.
I became to myself an imaginary figure of great excellence, daring and glamor.
Some critics of my work took the view that a satirist should defer to the finer feelings of his readers and respect widely held beliefs.
I've spent my entire career being a satirist.
It's true that none of my characters are admirable. But maybe I'm primarily a satirist, and a satirist needs to hold up what's not admirable.