“There is an ecstasy that marks the summit of life, and beyond which life cannot rise. And such is the paradox of living, this ecstasy comes when one is most alive, and it comes as a complete forgetfulness that one is alive. This ecstasy, this forgetfulness of living, comes to the artist, caught up and out of himself in a sheet of flame.” Jack London
Great quote, and certainly very true.
Tales from the Neon Beach,
It is a great quote. I’m rereading The Call of the Wild, which I hadn’t read in some 30 years. That passage jumped off the page at me, and I knew I had to share it.
Sounds pretty great.
So interesting – perhaps it is the moment, as “gurus” would say, when we are completely “in the moment.” Another paradox, then, if we are lucky, is we can reach “the summit of life” many times.
ralietravels,
It is a paradox, yet it’s true.
My latest piece touches on what London says. But he says it a lot more eloquently!
I enjoyed your post, and I think you captured that magic feeling as well as London.
Thanks, Mike. I appreciate that.
I foung my extasy first in Reading and then writing (badly and in the blog crazy) but just writing for me…. that is pure extasy.
charlypriest,
Yes. Reading is the gateway drug to writing.
“….caught up and out … in a sheet of flame…” phew!