Love Quote by Gay Talese

Talese is giving permission to fail in public while still protecting the private core of the work. The line looks like simple encouragement, but it carries the seasoned pragmatism of a journalist who understands how editorial gates actually work: publication is a marketplace decision, not a final verdict on the value of what you made. “Better that you should take the chance” frames risk as the ethical choice. Playing it safe isn’t neutral; it’s a quiet betrayal of the material that matters.

The “drawer” is the key image. It’s humble, almost old-fashioned, but it’s also strategic. Talese isn’t romanticizing rejection; he’s building a holding pen for ambition, a place where a piece can wait out the fashions, the editor’s mood, the budget cycle, the moment when the culture suddenly becomes ready for what you’ve already seen. That’s the subtext: timing, not talent, often decides what gets printed.

Coming from Talese, a defining voice of New Journalism, the advice is also a defense of reporting and writing that’s immersive, patient, and aesthetically serious. Work “close to your heart” can mean voice, obsession, or moral focus - the stuff that risks being labeled indulgent or “not our kind of story.” He’s telling writers to treat their convictions as an asset, not an embarrassment to be sanded down for acceptability.

The quiet twist is the last clause: “find a place to put that.” Not “publish it,” but place it. The goal isn’t just exposure; it’s fit. A good piece doesn’t merely seek attention. It waits for the right home.