Paul Theroux Quotes

Fiction writing, and the reading of it, and book buying, have always been the activities of a tiny minority of people, even in the most-literate societies.

Paul Theroux

• People
• Writing
• Book
• Reading

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Quotes to Explore

• The poem 'What Teachers Make' is not without its detractors. This one person wrote to me and said: 'Gee, Mr. Mali. You don't possibly have a teacher – God complex, do you?' And that was the first time I'd ever heard of that expression. So, yeah, I'm sure I have a teacher – God complex.

  

  Taylor Mali
  • Time
  • God
  • Person

• I am not Shakespeare or Hemingway, but I have written stories on tennis that were brilliant.

  

  Ion Tiriac
  • Stories
  • Tennis
  • Brilliant

• When I am cast in a movie where I feel that the woman's part is more interesting, I usually start thinking about Spencer Tracy and Fred Astaire. They seem to be the most clear actors when working with women.

  

  Jack Nicholson
  • Thinking
  • Women
  • Movie

• The main thing is to make history, not to write it.

  

  Otto von Bismarck
  • History
  • Write
  • Main Thing

• I learned very early on in life that not everyone wants to hear every fact in the world, even if you want to tell them everything you've ever read.

  

  Randall Munroe
  • Life
  • World
  • Want

• If the colonists hadn't rejected British militarism and the massive financial burden of maintaining the British military, America wouldn't exist.

  

  Rachel Maddow
  • America
  • Military
  • Financial

• The lives of African-Americans in this country are characterized by violence for most of our history. Much of that violence, at least to some extent, you know, done by the very state that's supposed to protect them.

  

  Ta-Nehisi Coates
  • Country
  • Done
  • History

• I admit I do have some drawbacks and limitations as a candidate. Although I am a professional comedian, some of my critics maintain that this is not enough. I cannot deny that I stand before you untested and inexperienced - I only spent two years in television, never as a romantic lead or a song and dance man.

  

  Pat Paulsen
  • Song
  • Man
  • Dance

• Our relationships with our computers are almost sexual, they're so close. They're just such a huge part of our lives.

  

  Mackenzie Davis
  • Relationships
  • Computers

• The game has given me so much, and I tried to give so much back to the people who have showed me so much love day after day.

  

  Francesco Totti
  • People
  • Game
  • Given

• I don't think I could ever give up music. It's what makes me tick. If there was no music, there would be no writing.

  

  Maggie Stiefvater
  • Up
  • Music
  • Writing

• If you live in New York or L.A., and you're liberal, and you're playing to a liberal crowd, it's almost like a rally... it's not edgy.

  

  Dana Carvey
  • Live
  • New York
  • Edgy

• Are your people uncomfortable during meetings and tired at the end? If not, they're probably not mixing it up enough and getting to the bottom of important issues.

  

  Patrick Lencioni
  • People
  • Up
  • Important

• Whatever we put our attention on will grow stronger in our life.

  

  Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
  • Life
  • Attention
  • Grow

• Our society finds truth too strong a medicine to digest undiluted. In its purest form, truth is not a polite tap on the shoulder. It is a howling reproach.

  

  Ted Koppel
  • Truth
  • Society
  • Strong

• It's the way the human brain works: when enough events occur in a pattern, we stop thinking and go into macro mode.

  

  N. K. Jemisin
  • Thinking
  • Stop
  • Brain

• Nothing is inevitable until it happens.

  

  A. J. P. Taylor
  • Nothing
  • Happens
  • Inevitable

• I was all about my thoughts, my work, my inspiration. I was always in hair.

  

  Vidal Sassoon
  • Work
  • Thoughts
  • Inspiration

• Against destiny I fulfilled my duty . Uselessly? No, for I fulfilled it.

  

  Fernando Pessoa
  • Destiny

• 'Contagion' should serve as a wake-up call not only about the germs, but perhaps more importantly about the frailty of governance, nationally and worldwide.

  

  Laurie Garrett
  • Up

• I love creepy old dudes. I love that they have so much self-confidence, despite having no evidence whatsoever to back it up.

  

  Kesha
  • Up
  • Confidence
  • Creepy

• It's true that I have very little idea what I shall be writing next, but at the same time I have a powerful premonition of everything that lies ahead of me, even ten years ahead.

  

  J. G. Ballard
  • Time
  • Writing
  • True

• Fiction writing, and the reading of it, and book buying, have always been the activities of a tiny minority of people, even in the most-literate societies.

  

  Paul Theroux
  • People
  • Writing
  • Book