John Irving Quotes
I think that writers are, at best, outsiders to the society they inhabit. They have a kind of detachment, or try to have.
Quotes to Explore
-
If al Qaeda or any other enemy of our country manages to create a situation or explode a bomb or murder or incapacitate large numbers of our people, we cannot wait for 7 weeks of a special election in order to deal with that.
-
To the real artist in humanity, what are called bad manners are often the most picturesque and significant of all.
-
The guitar is such an incredible instrument; it plays classical, flamenco, jazz, country, bluegrass, rock, acid, blues. You'll never see a clarinet playing Black Sabbath. But you will see a guitar in a clarinet band playing rhythm. It is the most popular instrument in the world; it is the one everybody loves.
-
Think what evil creeps liberals would be if their plans to enfeeble the individual, exhaust the economy, impede the rule of law, and cripple national defense were guided by a coherent ideology instead of smug ignorance.
-
You can wear anything as long as you put a nice pair of shoes with it.
-
There are so many different criteria for my collecting, and I have to confess that the goalposts do shift. But obviously, with my background, I am particularly drawn to things that have been documented in contemporary magazines.
-
Knowing policy does help make the gossip more understandable.
-
I redefined how I ate and exercised and have continued to keep that up because it feels great.
-
My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why I'm intrigued by the dynamics between people – because I was close to something that fell apart.
-
Most filmmaking is about shaking hands and just starting.
-
Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.
-
In recent years, I've been writing because I'm fortunate enough to work in the world of food television, to travel and taste and learn about cooking from the best chefs in the business.
-
I learned that we can do anything, but we can't do everything... at least not at the same time. So think of your priorities not in terms of what activities you do, but when you do them. Timing is everything.
-
There's a reason why every human society has fiction. It teaches us how to be 'good', to behave in a way that is for the benefit of the whole community.
-
The mind itself is of the form of all, i.e., of soul, God and world; when it becomes of the form of the Self through knowledge, there is release, which is of the nature of Brahman: this is the teaching.
-
Continuous persecution of widows and orphans is a crime. Even the Bible says there is a specific place in hell for those who oppress widows.
-
It's like having astronomy without knowing where the stars are.
-
I watch a lot of football.
-
Young people are often ignored and disregarded, but they are acute observers and learners of everything we say and do.
-
We're all capable of climbing so much higher than we usually permit ourselves to suppose.
-
It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.
-
The public makes a hit.
-
I'm uncomfortable with selfies and status updates documenting mundane pieces of my life, which I don't think should be of interest to anyone else.
-
I think that writers are, at best, outsiders to the society they inhabit. They have a kind of detachment, or try to have.
