"I work with language. I love the flowers of afterthought"

This quote by Bernard Malamud speaks to the power of language and its ability to produce beauty. Malamud is suggesting that language can be used to express concepts and feelings that are frequently tough to articulate. He is likewise suggesting that language can be used to create something lovely, like a flower, that can be valued long after the initial idea or concept has actually been expressed. This quote speaks to the power of language to produce something lasting and significant. It likewise speaks to the importance of putting in the time to reflect on our thoughts and concepts, and to reveal them in such a way that can be appreciated by others. Malamud's quote is a suggestion of the value of language and its ability to produce something gorgeous and enduring.