"A writer never reads his work. For him, it is the unreadable, a secret, and he cannot remain face to face with it. A secret, because he is separated from it"

This quote by Maurice Blanchot talks to the idea that an author's work is a secret to them. It is something that they can not stay face to face with, as it is unreadable to them. This talks to the idea that a writer's work is something that is deeply individual and personal, which they can not genuinely understand it in the exact same way that a reader can. It is a trick that only the writer can genuinely understand, and it is something that they should keep to themselves. This quote speaks to the concept that an author's work is something that is deeply individual and private, which they must keep it to themselves in order to truly understand it. It is a secret that just the author can truly understand, and it is something that they should keep to themselves in order to really value it.