Laurie Anderson wrote a show called “Heart of a Dog” which she performed for an audience of dogs. She is an artist  who was wildly and happily married to Velvet Underground front man Lou Reed until his death two and a half years ago.

She still mourns his passing and still celebrates their “Walk on the Wild Side.”

It isn’t easy to find a couple so creative, committed to each other and squeezing the most out of life.

These quotes may offer some insight into how she viewed the world, which has generated both great art and great love.

Enjoy!

“Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories.”

“I believe that the purpose of death is the release of love.”

“Don’t be afraid of anyone. Imagine your life if you’re not afraid of anyone.”

“Art is about paying attention.”

“Besides all those whaling details, Moby Dick is about someone who’s looking for something so huge, something they’ve wanted all their life, yet they know when they find it, it will kill them.”

“I’ve been trying to avoid goal-oriented behavior.”

“I’m not usually where I think I am. It’s kind of spooky.”

“As an artist I’d choose the thing that’s beautiful more than the one that’s true.”

Here is a snippet from a Rolling Stone article she wrote about their relationship:

Like many couples, we each constructed ways to be—strategies, and sometimes compromises, that would enable us to be part of a pair. Sometimes we lost a bit more than we were able to give, or gave up way too much, or felt abandoned. Sometimes we got really angry. But even when I was mad, I was never bored. We learned to forgive each other. And somehow, for 21 years, we tangled our minds and hearts together. 

More Quotes:

“I see and write things first as an artist, second as a woman, and third as a New Yorker. All three have built-in perspectives that aren’t neutral.”

“I hate zoos.”

“I just sort of wish people would dance differently. It reminds me of teenage sex.”

“It’s good to take a longer view and think, What would I really like to do if I had no limitations whatsoever?”

“You know, for every dollar a man makes a woman makes 63 cents. Now, 50 years ago that was 62 cents. So, with that kind of luck, it’ll be the year 3,888 before we make a buck.

“I’ve never really had a hobby, unless you count art, which the IRS once told me I had to declare as a hobby since I hadn’t made money with it.”

“And there was a beautiful view/ But nobody could see/ Cause everybody on the island/ Was saying Look at me!/ Look at me.”

“I think women are excellent social critics.”

And here are quotes from her about the passing of her husband; they reflect the sort of love they had and the ongoing contribution that love makes to her life every day:

“I got very twined up with Lou. I always will be. Actually, I kinda feel that he’s looking out of my eyes. It used to creep me out. But now I think, ‘Ah. Of course.’ You become so much a part of someone else, and they’re a part of you. So it’s a very weird type of death of yourself.”

“It’s also an incredibly energizing thing. It was completely a shock to me how much energy I felt. And how much gratitude for the time we had. I was not expecting that at all—this feeling of being dazzled by life.”

“Being with him when he died was something I will never forget. His bravery. His happiness. His acceptance. It was a colossal experience for me. Changed my life completely in a way that I had not expected. I expected to feel sad and lost. But I felt the opposite. Just, like, ‘Boy, this is it. This is all we have. Right here. So you’d better pay attention.’”

“The day before he died, we were out swimming in the pool. Looking at the trees. And he was just floating and saying, ‘You know, I am just so susceptible to beauty.’ And I think of that every day. Every day. How to open yourself to the world. And really appreciate it.” (Here is the complete article.)

More Quotes:

“I’m an average enough person to point to the things I’ve gotten to see that are awe-inspiring.”

“People are really suffering these days. There’s a lot of corporate triumph and a lot of personal despair as they wonder what are they working for.”

“The fewer expectations you have, the better.”

“Paradise Is exactly like/ Where you are right now/ Only much much Better.”

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Author: Jerry Stocking

Editor: Travis May

Image: Flickr/Sydney Opera House