Jess Walter Quotes
I cling to the idea that Herman Melville had to work at the end of his career watching ships in a dock, as a shipping agent in New York. Any writer who thinks they should be given patronage because of their gift... you don't have to look too far in history to see that's just not the case.
Quotes to Explore
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The contributions of African Americans, Native Americans, and immigrants throughout our nation's history are undeniable, but the tendency to overlook their gallant efforts is pervasive and persistent.
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I've always been proud that my name stands for peace.
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All genius is a conquering of chaos and mystery.
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With a gentleman I am always a gentleman and a half, and with a fraud I try to be a fraud and a half.
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Natural selection, as it has operated in human history, favors not only the clever but the murderous.
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If you stop being scared, that's when entropy sets in, and you may as well go home.
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When we read fiction, we want to get outside of ourselves and are able to see from a perspective we haven't seen through before. That can be very powerful.
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I like nicotine because it excites my brain and helps me work.
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I've never worn fur, either. I'm a naturally squeamish person, and fur smells like dead animal to me.
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The field of the novel is very rich. If you're a composer, you're well aware of the history of composition, and you are trying to make your music part of that history. You're not ahistorical. In the same way, I think, if you write now, you are writing in the historical context of what the novel has been and what possibilities it has revealed.
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We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know.
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Don't feel sorry for me. I've had a great life, great friends.
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We must not let daylight in upon the magic.
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Theatre sports is the best improv training period.
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I am not afraid to go to jail.
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The voices on the record, that was trying to treat my voice like guitar players treat guitar tones.
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It's not like my old self – I'm not in character anymore, I'm me. I'm not hiding behind that anymore.
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I think St. Jude helped me achieve some miracles in my life - that's why I wear the medallion in my left ear and never take it out.
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The American Dream I believe in is one that provides anyone willing to work hard enough with the opportunity to succeed.
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I don't watch a lot of my work. I'm not really interested in seeing it after I do it. Because I came from theater, where, you know, it's impossible to actually review your work, so why would I bother under any other circumstances?
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Hence my obstinate emphasis on stylistic continuity from work to work rather than specific sibling relationships between the individual work and other members of its stylistic 'family' in the world outside.
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The perennial conviction that those who work hard and play by the rules will be rewarded with a more comfortable present and a stronger future for their children faces assault from just about every direction. That great enemy of democratic capitalism, economic inequality, is real and growing.
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America is the brokest country in history. We owe more money than anyone has ever owed anyone. And Obama and Reid say relax, that's no reason not to spend more - because the world hasn't yet concluded we have no intention of paying it back. When they do, the dollar will collapse.
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I cling to the idea that Herman Melville had to work at the end of his career watching ships in a dock, as a shipping agent in New York. Any writer who thinks they should be given patronage because of their gift... you don't have to look too far in history to see that's just not the case.
