Who said “The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader,…”?

Verified

Ursula K. Le Guin. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?" (1987)

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For academic work, cite the original where you can: "Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?" (1987).

APA

Guin, U. K. L. (n.d.). The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8599-the-unread-story-is-not-a-story-it/

MLA

Guin, Ursula K. Le. “The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8599-the-unread-story-is-not-a-story-it/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Guin, Ursula K. Le. “The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/8599-the-unread-story-is-not-a-story-it/.

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All 26 Ursula K. Le Guin quotes →