Don’t you trust me, Plato?

jamesdeandaily:

James Dean (front row, center) in an elementary school class picture, c. 1940.

I’ve tried to understand why, even though Jimmy is dead, there are so many people who feel that he is living. I think the secret is that Jimmy’s personality was so strong as to be unforgettable. I know people who have only seen him on the screen, but they were as affected by his character and his attitude toward life as if they had known him. They say that he existed so forcefully that when they heard his name or saw his picture, something inside their hearts and minds would become active. - Nick Adams

“It was interesting because everyone I spoke to had a different perspective on James Dean. I think it is because he compartmentalized his friends so distinctly that everyone saw a different side of him. I often found that if people did not have that much personal information about James Dean, the experiences they had with him were mystical.”