Jason Reynolds Quotes
Quotes to Explore
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The person who knows one thing and does it better than anyone else, even if it only be the art of raising lentils, receives the crown he merits. If he raises all his energy to that end, he is a benefactor of mankind and its rewarded as such.
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I'm just a Connecticut country boy. The people I've known, the changes of season, the call of the blue jay - when I'm away, all of them haunt me.
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A writer is a human being. He has to live with a sense of honor.
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I'm afraid to fail again.
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I do get approached occasionally, but not a ton. I'm unrecognizable because I'm coated in cat hair and sweat. And there's a sort of yeti quality to my presence... so I don't think that people can see the face.
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The mind is but too naturally prone to pleasure, but too easily yielded to dissipation.
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I read people; that's one of my strengths. It's not that I can't be fooled, but I'm not fooled often.
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I saw what the Depression was doing to my students. Often they could get no jobs, or jobs which were wholly inadequate. And through them, I began to understand how deeply political and economic events could affect men's lives. I began to feel the need to participate more fully in the life of the community.
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I moved to New York - I attended NYU, did a BFA in Acting at NYU. I was really into hip-hop, so I started battling, like '8 Mile.' I used to rap battle.
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What I do find enormously gratifying is the reviews my books get from the American press. They are so on the ball compared to anywhere else. It's so satisfying to get a review that conveys the reader understood precisely what I was trying to get at.
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I was into basketball, but then once I found contact sports, it was over. I never played basketball again in my life.
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You feel it in there, pacing your heart sometimes, and it has what's called a defibrillator. Should I suffer that arhythmia, it's generally sudden death. And the paddles that are internal shock you back and restore your rhythm to its normal and natural state.
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If I can hit No. 1 on the 'New York Times' best-seller list, I'm thinking of having the entire list tattooed on my body somewhere. It would be fabulous.
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When you go back and really listen to the legendary rappers, this is timeless music. Guys like Biggie, guys like Pac, timeless music.
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My slogan is I'm the least qualified guy for the job, but I'd probably do the best job.
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In Shakespeare, unique individuals repudiate the stereotypes demanded by the structure of the play: Shylock commands our sympathy, Barnardine refuses to be hanged. Individuals trump the category.
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My mother was madly adventurous. My father was an actor - he worked with Gielgud - and my mother came from a very wealthy family. She definitely wasn't meant to marry an actor, but she eloped with him one lunch-time.
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Having a credible existence in the private sector frees people to be able to be better public servants. You're less concerned with... toeing the party line and more concerned with doing what is right.
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So if I get these actors for 30% of their price by coming in so late with an offer when they know they are not getting another offer then I do it this way.
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The whole Twitter phenomenon is really indicative of what's happening in this country. And I say this in condemnation of myself as much as anyone else - we are growing into a nation that has no time, desire or capacity for truth. All we can handle is 140 characters of knowledge.
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I am firm. You are obstinate. He is a pig-headed fool.
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I started out in journalism in the mid '90s working for the sister wire service of the 'Wall Street Journal,' which is called Dow Jones Newswires. Then I joined the 'Journal' in its Brussels bureau back in 1999.
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I didn't know what to expect coming to college. High school was pretty easy and I guess I expected college to be along the same route. It was just an overwhelming experience.
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One thing I wish I'd been told in school is that my language is valid.
