"We should write like the clothes washers from my Alagoas do their work.First they wet the cloth on a river or pond then they twist the cloth, and they wet it again and twist again put soap and wash and then add some more water and slam against a stone and twist again, one more time, twist till it does not have any water left to drop ...then after all that they put it to dry. So should do those who want to write. The word was not made to decorate, shine like fools gold; the word was made to say"
--- Graciliano Ramos
