Sherman Alexie Quotes
-
How self-centered, how arrogant... Imagine the awesome privilege of living in a society where you get to choose what you eat at each and every meal. When I was a kid, I was a vegetarian and a vegan for long stretches... I was a commodity cheese-atarian.
-
I suddenly understood that if every moment of a book should be taken seriously, then every moment of a life should be taken seriously as well.
-
And believe me, a good piece of chicken can make anybody believe in the existence of God.
-
A lot of native culture has been destroyed. So you already feel lost inside your culture. And then you add up feeling lost and insignificant inside the larger culture. So you end up feeling lost squared. And to never be recognized, to never have any power, you know, other minority communities actually have a lot of economic, cultural power.
-
I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons-in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.
-
I love to scare the already terrified assholes.
-
I've learned that the worst thing a parent can do is ignore their children
-
I look more Indian when I'm serious.
-
Like any good shaman, professional baseball player, or politician, my mother always answered questions with questions.
-
When it comes to death, we know that laughter and tears are pretty much the same thing.
-
In a real-world way, my gifts are very limited in terms of what I can do.
-
When you construct a mix tape, the first song you come out with has to be a barnburner.
-
If it's fiction, then it better be true.
-
White Americans have a short memory.
-
Non-Indian writers usually say "Great Spirit," "Mother Earth," "Two-Legged, Four-Legged, and Winged." Mixed-blood writers usually say "Creator, "Mother Earth," "Two-Legged, Four- Legged, and Winged." Indian writers usually say "God," "Mother Earth," "Human Being, Dog, and Bird."
-
I guess a witness is all I am. I think as a writer, you're pretty removed. Writing is a very selfish, individualistic pursuit. So in that sense I'm a witness because I'm not participating.
-
The dream he needed most was the dream that frightened him more.
-
Somebody dies and people eat your food. Funny how that works.
-
If one reads enough books one has a fighting chance. Or better, one's chances of survival increase with each book one reads.
-
In high school I dated a white woman. She would come to visit me on the rez. And her dad, who was very racist, didn't like that at all. And he told her one time, 'You shouldn't go on the rez if you're white because Indians have a lot of anger in their heart.'
-
Don't live up to your stereotypes.
-
She was in pain and I loved her, sort of loved her, I guess, so I kind of had to love her pain, too.
-
We all have to find our own ways to say good-bye.
-
I ain't interested in the truth. I'm interested in the way things should be.