Elmore Leonard Quotes
Writing screenplays is not my business. I've written half a dozen, and maybe half of those were made. But it was never a satisfying experience. It was just work. You're an employee. You would be told what to do. Studio execs would cross out my dialogue and put in their dialogue.

Quotes to Explore
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I've always been proud that my name stands for peace.
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To be one's self, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity.
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For me, songwriting starts with a melody. When a musician plays a chord progression, either the words and vocal melody come to me, or they don't. That's how I determine who to write with. It works, or it doesn't.
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I've always liked street lights, and I've always photographed them. I probably have a collection of two to three thousand photographs of them, just around the city, mainly at night.
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Denied anything ardently desired, the individual or state will argue and parley just so long - then, if the impelling motive be sufficiently great, will cast aside every rule and break down every acquired inhibition, plunging viciously after the object wished; all the more fantastically savage because of previous repression.
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I ain't just collab-ing with anybody. Because I don't care about making friends. I got enough friends.
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Individuals should think about the worst-case scenarios and plan for them. The world will be crazier than you think it will be. Put money away, and then you can live with much more freedom.
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The secrets of slavery are concealed like those of the Inquisition.
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My sculptures cause an uproar, astonishment, and put a smile on your face.
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I have my own voice and can focus only on that. I know what I like; I find my inspirations in so many other places than just online and bring that into my work.
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I believe that there may be intelligent life on other planets.
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More and more, cultural groups are cross-pollinating, and we're getting much more interesting art as a result.
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There was a bit of a comparison that Bret was making between Vince McMahon and my dad. He looked up to Vince as a dad and stuff, and it was a shame to see the whole thing end the way it did.
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What is this world? A mere curl of smoke for the wind to scatter.
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All the old great companies were run by guys who knew what an animator meant, and guys who knew how to draw. All the companies today are run by executives.
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One of the main lessons I have learned the last five years as Secretary-General is that the United Nations cannot function properly without the support of the business community and civil society. We need to have tripartite support - the governments, the business communities and the civil society.
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For gay people, we learned about our lives in secrecy and a lot of fear.
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People sometimes wear shirts that are really boxy, and you can see them over the top of their trousers, which doesn't look right to me.
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So much of existence is so boring. To have little moments of stupidity is always welcome.
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Ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep.
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I am a lover. And with my kids I am even softer. I realize with my son, I have to sometimes be tough, especially now when he's pushing boundaries. With my daughter, I can get a little stern with her and she pretty much will listen.
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Give people the power to shape their lives to their liking, and their souls will take care of themselves.
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One of my fondest memories growing up in Rwanda was seeing everyone participating in community-building activities. This happened every Saturday at the end of month. People work together in cleaning streets, planting trees, and take care of each other by facilitating productive conversations and actions that are beneficial for the society.
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Writing screenplays is not my business. I've written half a dozen, and maybe half of those were made. But it was never a satisfying experience. It was just work. You're an employee. You would be told what to do. Studio execs would cross out my dialogue and put in their dialogue.