Philip Pullman Quotes

I tried writing out a plot with the second or third novel I wrote, and it was so boring, so desperately boring.

Philip Pullman

• Writing

• Previous
• Next

Quotes to Explore

• North Korea, under its thirtysomething Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un, is no country for old men. The latest casualty in Kim's ongoing purge of the senior military command was the defense minister, Hyon Yong-chol, who reportedly committed the classic old man's offense of falling asleep in a meeting.

  

  Barbara Demick
  • Men
  • Country
  • Man

• The problem of the world today is the people talk on and on about democracy, freedom, justice. But I don't give a damn about democracy if I am worried about survival.

  

  Imelda Marcos
  • People
  • World
  • Today

• In the case of my book, I don't think it's really the coming-out gay novel that everyone really needed, even though it was received as such. The boy is too creepy, he betrays his teacher, the only adult man with whom he's enjoyed a sexual experience, etc.

  

  Edmund White
  • Experience
  • Book
  • Man

• Physical bravery is an animal instinct; moral bravery is much higher and truer courage.

  

  Wendell Phillips
  • Moral
  • Courage
  • Animal

• I have no problem with violence, I have no problem playing horrible people.

  

  Mandy Patinkin
  • People
  • Problem
  • Violence

• In truth, to know oneself seems to be the hardest of all things. Not only our eye, which observes external objects, does not use the sense of sight upon itself, but even our mind, which contemplates intently another's sin, is slow in the recognition of its own defects.

  

  Saint Basil
  • Mind
  • Truth
  • Eye

• I've had the experience of having a book praised but then it doesn't sell. Or not praised but then it sells.

  

  Gail Sheehy
  • Experience
  • Book
  • Sell

• There is always the fear of failure, and if you struggle, you become nervous, and that's when the underdogs have an opportunity to create a surprise.

  

  Ottmar Hitzfeld
  • Opportunity
  • Fear
  • Struggle

• Whether it's through introduction of the right gut bacteria or direct modification of the genes of cows and pigs, I think we're going to have to introduce something like this into our livestock - a way to consume the methane rather than releasing it.

  

  Ramez Naam
  • Think
  • Way
  • Introduction

• Hot girls have so many options. Sitting at home alone any night of the week and searching the Internet for a dude is on zero hot girls' agendas. So they're definitely not coming after you.

  

  Adam DeVine
  • Home
  • Night
  • Alone

• I don't take pleasure in anyone's demise, really.

  

  Larry Wilmore
  • Pleasure
  • Really
  • Take

• 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

• That's really my goal now. I'm trying to be a positive role model to my kids and to just enjoy this ride, because it's hard. It's hard to enjoy it when you're in it.

  

  Taylor Dayne
  • Trying
  • Kids
  • Positive

• The Gorillaz cartoons seem more real to me than the actual people on TV. Because at least you know that there's some intelligence behind the cartoons, and there's a lot of work that's gone into it, so it can't all be just a lie.

  

  Damon Albarn Blur
  • People
  • Work
  • Real

• Were women meant to do everything - work and have babies?

  

  Candice Bergen
  • Work
  • Women
  • Everything

• There's always room to volunteer. I think that's a huge space to be involved with.

  

  Halima Aden
  • Think
  • Space
  • Volunteer

• I don't think Michael had to retire for us to get the spotlight, because when you win, it commands attention.

  

  Hakeem Olajuwon
  • Think
  • Attention
  • Win

• Today, I saw a spark of decency. Let's blow on that spark and give it fuel.

  

  Orson Scott Card
  • Today
  • Blow

• For true downtime, I enjoy going for light runs, having drinks with friends and going to the movies with my husband.

  

  Emily Giffin
  • Friends
  • True
  • Light

• Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!

  

  Bram Stoker
  • Music
  • Children
  • Listen

• I think baseball - the baseball genre - is this mitt, to use a double pun there, to catch a whole bunch of themes.

  

  Rachel Griffiths
  • Think
  • Baseball
  • Themes

• Remember that a good football novel has to have the same ingredients as any other good novel: drama, convincing and interesting characters, a strong story-line, and some kind of magic in the writing.

  

  Mal Peet
  • Good
  • Writing
  • Remember

• I tried writing out a plot with the second or third novel I wrote, and it was so boring, so desperately boring.

  

  Philip Pullman
  • Writing