David Shields Quotes
I began as a fiction writer - I had written three novels in my 20s and 30s. But as my work has gravitated towards literary nonfiction, or lyric essay or poetic essay, whatever you want to call it, I'm constantly beating my head against the wall 'cause I'm teaching a genre that's no longer that exciting to me and that I'm no longer practicing.

Quotes to Explore
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Since 9/11, there has been a huge leap in people wanting to get personally involved in public service and international affairs.
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I don't pretend to be anything but an actor and a writer.
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Two hundred years ago, our precursors in Haiti struck a blow for freedom, which was heard around the world, and across centuries.
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One of the most widely read novels by a black American is Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man.' It is his masterwork - it won the National Book Award in 1953 and catapulted my man to the highest levels of literary esteem.
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I don't usually watch a lot of TV, but 'Mad Men' changed my perspective. I admire Matthew Weiner who came up with the idea and wrote such a great TV series, and the broadcasting company for being bold enough to air such a series.
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I had rather be called a journalist than an artist.
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I'm such a bad shopper for myself. I love fashion and all that kind of stuff, but that's sort of the last thing I want to do when I'm done with a film is go shopping. I want to just chill.
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Team members have to hold each other accountable. If there's a meeting, all members have to commit to be present and to help one another; they can't just check out when they feel they're not getting any benefits.
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Listen to my voice - I sound like I'm permanently congested.
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I don't understand people who dream in black and white. I just don't get it. My dreams have always been vivid color.
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No 27-year-old has the experience to run a company that does a quarter of a billion dollars a year in sales.
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I am a contradiction myself. I'm always looking for something that scares me because when I'm not scared, I'm not stimulated.
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Every designer needs a story. Mine is all about glamour because my family has been in the business of glamour for three generations. My grandfather Shamshuddin Khan started his embroidery and fabric-making business in the 1930s.
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I will not say anything about my father. Period. I don't have a dad.
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I love looking through magazines, and you know, I love getting dressed up to go to events and stuff.
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But what I'm very interested in, whether it's writing, whether it's hosting a show, whether it's cooking food, I'm just into the discussions of identity, culture and the politics of culture.
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Susan, an only child who never had any roots, and I, a lone wolf who got married 20 years to late, were adopted by the kids as much as they were by us.
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It kills me to lose. If I'm a troublemaker, and I don't think that my temper makes me one, then it's because I can't stand losing. That's the way I am about winning, all I ever wanted to do was finish first.
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A team without hope fizzles: no flameout, no fire.
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Trans folk, especially of color, should not be obligated to help cis folk play catch-up on our experiences. The effort can detract from our work to protect and liberate ourselves.
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My favorite things often have a story behind them and are usually handmade or discovered at a flea market.
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I am getting frustrated by the fact that we have been out of office for eight years. I desperately want to lead the Conservative Party to make quicker progress back into power.
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I began as a fiction writer - I had written three novels in my 20s and 30s. But as my work has gravitated towards literary nonfiction, or lyric essay or poetic essay, whatever you want to call it, I'm constantly beating my head against the wall 'cause I'm teaching a genre that's no longer that exciting to me and that I'm no longer practicing.