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Books and reading
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“There's tons of books out there about writers who suffer insecurities, who suffer all kinds of other ailments. To live in your head for a long time is a difficult thing, especially in terms of novelists, where you have this whole blueprint of this world in your head. I feel like, because I'm so much in my head, I forget that I have a real life, you know? That's a major challenge…”
Helena Maria Viramontes (born 1954) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On one of the challenges of being a writer in “Fiction and Social Justice: Interview with novelist Helena María Viramontes” (Gonzaga University; 2019)
“(What thoughts do you have for young and new writers coming up?) Those who write are assisting in constructing the next world, the next consciousness. Be open, aware, and study. Study with all parts of your being, not just your intellect. Some of your knowledge may come from books, most of it from other sources. Always allow yourself to be surprised. And, write. (2008)”
“Books, words, were my most treasured escape. I lived inside stories, I breathed them. I felt like they made me more human, or a better human…”
Marjorie Liu (born 1979) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On reading in “Marjorie Liu: Making a Monstress” in Guernica (2016 Feb 15)
“I'm as American as apple pie…And yet when Chinese New Year comes along I still have to be very careful about not saying anything wrong, because that sets the mood for the whole year. All these Chinese traditions from my mother's family are with me, and they all come out in my books. But sometimes you have to step away from them.”
Gail Tsukiyama (born 1957) first seen 1998 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On reconciling her Chinese ancestry with her American values in “Family Anchors Tsukiyama's Novels / Chinese-Japanese roots flower into elegant prose” in SFGATE (1998 Apr 7)
“I realized that books don't have to be about White people, they can actually represent all people”
Lupita Nyong'o (born 1983) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: I realized that books don't have to be about White people, they can actually represent all people,' the actress says describing her complex relationship with literature during childhood.okayafrica(February 5, 2020 )
“The initial impulse was just liking it in other books. … Also, coming from a community that felt voiceless in the larger scheme of things—as far as movies and literature, as far as representation goes—it felt like the right decision to have a whole bunch of voices come out, as opposed to one or two.”
Tommy Orange (born 1982) first seen 2018 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On choosing to have multiple narrators in his debut novel in “Meet Tommy Orange” in Diablo Magazine (July 2018)
“Well, I don't know. I think it's really left for the critics. As a writer, you just write books, and then the critics start analyzing what it ought to do or what ought to have been put in it, which doesn't enter the writer's mind [when she's writing].”
Buchi Emecheta (1944–2017) said by 2017 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“1975 was International Women's Year. I had never heard the word 'feminism' before then. I was writing my books from the experiences of my own life and from watching and studying the lives of those around me in general. I did not know that writing the way I was, was putting me into a special category.”
Buchi Emecheta (1944–2017) said by 2017 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Can you cook books and feed them to your husband? Stay at home with your mother. Learn to cook and clean. Grow vegetables.”
Tsitsi Dangarembga (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Plunging into these books I knew I was being educated and I was filled with gratitude to the authors for introducing me to places where reason and inclination were not at odds. It was a centripetal time, with meat the centre, everything gravitating towards me. It was a time of sublimation with me as the sublimate.”
Tsitsi Dangarembga (born 1959) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“With all of my books I'm interested in where people come from in relation to who they are.”
Bernardine Evaristo (born 1959) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On her writing interests in "Bernardine Evaristo: 'I want to put presence into absence'", The Guardian (27 April 2019).
“You know, I've been thinking: all the women in the books you like -- Sartre and Camus and all that -- they don't really exist. Not as people. They're only there to wait for the men. To love them and be loved back or not -- mostly not; to be beaten up or killed; to appear as a face on the wall of Meurseault's cell--”
Ahdaf Soueif (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I believe it’s something that happens when one is around art, and when one is close to books: they seep into your system, into your blood, and start to activate something in your life. We start living in the way that some of these characters live, with some sense of their sensibility. It’s almost as if the reader becomes the writer and the writer becomes the reader…”
Nilo Cruz (born 1960) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On how a written work may speak to you in “Nilo Cruz by Emily Mann” in BOMB Magazine (2004 Jan 1)
“Anansi is the god of stories - I’m telling Anansi my story. I remember my aunt telling me some Anansi stories when I was 9 or 10, but I didn’t take them in. In my 20s, I bought loads of Anansi books. History, folklore, and culture gives you pride and happiness through a sense of connection.”
Derek Owusu (born 1988) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On giving his book That Reminds Me folkloric elements in “Derek Owusu: ‘Mental health issues that people find scary aren’t being talked about’” in The Guardian (2019 Nov 2)
“I like to meet as many fans as possible. A number of them have become personal friends. Without the convention I would never see them. I owe a lot to my fans, many of whom have bought my books and remained faithful to me over the years. So I like to put on an enjoyable day for all and I plan to continue with it for as long as possible.”
Guy N. Smith (1939–2020) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: DLS Reviews Interview (March 20, 2015)
“Because I write contemporary, magical realism and speculative for both children and adults, I spend a lot of time thinking about real settings for the contemporary books and the pieces that could be taken from those places to create fantasy spaces. But I also like to look for the magic in the real world…”
Kacen Callender (born 1989) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On choosing locations for their works in “INTERVIEWS: Kacen Callender in BookPage (2019 Nov 12)
“The problem of locating photos often confirms the indifference to women’s presence in history, as reflected in the media, books, historical records, museums, university libraries.”
Elizabeth Martinez (1925–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We should also recall the exclusively Black-white model of race relations, which makes all other peoples invisible. It is not surprising that two dozen white writers who have been conditioned to see the struggles of Asian/Pacific Island Americans, Latinos and Native Americans as minor would write their books accordingly.”
Elizabeth Martinez (1925–2021) said by 2021 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The mantra vehicle is the most common name in Tibet for the path of meditation practice following the “Books of Kiu-te,” or the Tibetan Buddhist Tantras. This is also referred to as the quick path...”
David Reigle (born 1952) first seen 1997 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Meditation: What Is It? The High Country Theosophist, vol. 12, no. 11 (Nov. 1997)
“All of my books have focused on characters that are displaced and having to start over in some place new, and how the new landscape shapes the person you are and the person you become. (2019)”
Laila Lalami (born 1968) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“History books are necessary in order for us to know and perceive the truth, and there’s always a question of perspective and who gets to tell the story…”
Sally Wen Mao first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On who gets to “gaze” or be “gazed upon” in “HIJACKING THE NARRATIVE: A CONVERSATION WITH SALLY WEN MAO” in Adroit Journal (2019 Mar 21)
“I wish we had more nuanced, complex conversations about books. Why can’t we speak in expansive terms about genre and aesthetics? About mood and texture? About things that fit into categories and the ones that defy them?”
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The magic realism conundrum will not be resolved quickly or easily, but I believe a wider selection of books from writers with a Latin American heritage can help move us toward a world in which our vision of this region is vaster and richer. This is happening, albeit slowly.”
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“In her spare time, she looked to books or the stars for company.”
Silvia Moreno-Garcia (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I feel queasy about the idea of having non-Asians taking center stage in one of my books. I would feel guilty about it, as if I were trying to deny my ethnic heritage, even though this is precisely what I am suggesting we should be free to do.”
Don Lee (author) first seen 2012 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the writing dilemmas that he faces in “Don Lee: The Ethnic Literature Box” in Guernica Magazine (2012 Jun 25)
“the most revolutionary aspect of my books resides in their participation in the feminist struggle—in the search for individual freedom.”
Rosario Ferré (1938–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Books grow and become something else”
Rosario Ferré (1938–2016) said by 2016 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[He said:] ‘Students belonging to SC/ST are attracted to Leftist propaganda because of the fraud theory of Aryan-Dravidian divide. Leftists have also misrepresented Indian epics like Manu Smriti and manipulated Indian history books to brainwash students. Students from Kashmir with a jihadi mentality easily get attracted towards Leftists as they both have a common agenda of weakening India.’”
Vivek Agnihotri (born 1973) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“My birthplace is Jam, and my pen Has drunk from (knowledge of) Sheikh-ul-Islam Ahmad Jam, Hence in the books of poetry My pen nam is Jami for these two reasons.”
Jami (1414–1492) said by 1492 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The value of Dhamma isn’t to be found in books. Those are just the external appearances of Dhamma, they’re not the realization of Dhamma as a personal experience. If you realize the Dhamma you realize your own mind, you see the truth there. When the truth becomes apparent it cuts off the stream of delusion.”
Ajahn Chah (1918–1992) said by 1992 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Bitter knew her name was heavy, but she hadn’t minded, because it was honest. That was something she’d taught Jam—that a lot of things were manageable as long as they were honest […] But Jam trusted her mother for those brutal truths, and that’s why home was the first place she brought the books with the angels in them.”
Akwaeke Emezi (born 1987) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Angels aren't pretty pictures in old holy books, just like monsters aren't ugly pictures. It's all just people, doing hard things or doing bad things.”
Akwaeke Emezi (born 1987) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“As some are drawn to bars and others to churches, I’m drawn to bookstores and libraries. They’re sanctuaries. They’re sanctuary. Hope germinates in me that osmosis will take place and whatever goodness is in those books that got them a place on those shelves will leak into me and I’ll produce something that could someday go there.”
Tochi Onyebuchi (born 1987) first seen 2020 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On where he finds inspiration in “THE PEN TEN: AN INTERVIEW WITH TOCHI ONYEBUCHI” in Pen America (2020 Jan 16)
“I don't know what history books will write about me. It's not my purpose or goal.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (born 1978) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“'We've got it all there in the books if we take the trouble to find out about it.'”
John Wyndham (1903–1969) said by 1969 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Remember, in the Indian way, only the shruti scriptures are of divine origin. The laws, or smriti books, are not of divine origin, but man-made, which means we can change the laws depending on what society wants. There are many smritis besides the Manu Smriti, some are very liberal and some are conservative, and they reflect the mood of the society when these smritis were written.”
Amish Tripathi (born 1974) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“It's a forced disappearance...All those who have disappeared are related to the Causeway Bay bookshop and this bookshop was famous, not only for the sale, but also for the publication and circulation of a series of sensitive books.”
Albert Ho (born 1951) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: January 6, 2016 Briton confirmed missing as mystery deepens over Hong Kong booksellers
“The terabyte boundary is going to cause movies to have the same status as films and digital books.”
Joe Armstrong (programmer) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I said back in 2012, a year when the average income of the bottom 90% of Americans was lower, adjusted for inflation... than in 1967... that if you ran for president on the economics in my books you would win, because it champions the 90%, in fact it champions... the 99.5%; and that's what Donald did, and I know he watched me on television because he talked to other people about it, who told me...”
David Cay Johnston (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Next time you go to a talk by me, because I'm sure I'll be back with one of my future books. Maybe the one I hope to have out next year, which is a whole new tax system that's simple and... you can't cheat under my system without committing a crime. Bring a young person.”
David Cay Johnston (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Trump has himself reduced his life philosophy to a single word—revenge. ...Repeatedly he has said in talks and in books that destroying the lives of people he considers disloyal gives him pleasure. That Trump does not recognize ethical limits on conduct... derives from his fundamental character, narcissism.”
David Cay Johnston (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Over many years in paid public appearances and in books bearing his name... Trump rejected the idea of turning the other cheek, saying that those who do are "fools" and "idiots." This philosophy was ignored by the many pastors who endorsed Trump and accepted... that he is a Christian. ...[R]evenge is explicitly rejected by Jesus and runs counter to the whole theme of the New Testament.”
David Cay Johnston (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Bill O'Reilly... called me a socialist, and I said "Interestingly, my books champion competitive markets," but I understand people like Bill think that competitive markets are a socialist scheme, because they just want to mine the public and make all the money they can, with no regard for anybody else.”
David Cay Johnston (born 1948) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“[In response to the question "Who the hell are you?"] If I knew, I think I would not be able to continue writing, or wouldn't have written the books I have written.”
B. Traven (1882–1969) said by 1969 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted by in "His Widow Reveals Much of Who B. Traven Really Was", The New York Times 25 June 1990
“An author should have no other biography than his books.”
B. Traven (1882–1969) said by 1969 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quoted by Red Marriott in "Traven, B. – An Anti-Biography" (2007)
“If books are indeed magic (and does anyone really believe otherwise?), then they are a collaborative magic between author and reader.”
Jim C. Hines (born 1974) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Part One brings our hidden assumptions about money to the surface. In doing so, it also brings to light new potentials for our interactions with money. It is not about how to make, invest or spend money. There are already plenty of books about all of that. It is about the concept of money, and how different money systems shape different societies.”
Bernard Lietaer (1942–2019) said by 2019 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One’s life is one’s faith when you commit your life to Christ, if you really want to be a Christian it will cost you your life. I learned that from a man who wrote books.”
Douglas Gresham (born 1945) first seen 2006 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: More to Douglas Gresham than 'Narnia' (January 2006)
“At that age, Alice had grasped the idea that some things in books were real, and others were not.”
Django Wexler wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“How about this then, Peter,” she said. “You’ve been part of something that no wizard has ever been part of before. You know something that’s not in their books.” I wanted to say that lots of things weren’t in the libraries of the wise, including plate tectonics, molecular biology and the complete works of J. K. Rowling. But she’d probably say that I was missing the point.”
Ben Aaronovitch (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source