Alan Lightman Quotes
Novels aren't pedagogical instruments, or instructions in law or physics or any other discipline. A novel has to be an emotional experience, a trip of the imagination, and because science has raised so many issues that concern and affect humans, it's a good starting place for me.
Quotes to Explore
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The first book I sat down to write was an historical romance. It was really bad and thankfully no one ever saw it.
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I'd love to do something where I can act and dance at the same time, like on Broadway or in movies.
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Helping out in your kid's classroom is a great way to get involved with your child's school.
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Never sit staring at a blank page or screen. If you find yourself stuck, write. Write about the scene you're trying to write. Writing about is easier than writing, and chances are, it will give you your way in.
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I'm not going to lie; the most fun of writing these books is just saying, 'Where am I going to write about? Let me go there!'
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The greatest risk is really to take no risk at all. You've got to go out there, jump off the cliff, and take chances.
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I am a very loyal man and always keep my promises when I commit to something.
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I don't think being a writer who is religious means you have to write about nothing but religion. When I do write about religion, it's to inform the story, not to push a certain agenda.
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I lost my mother and my brother when I was 15 in two separate car accidents. I was doing well at school. I was a good sportsperson, but at that point, I gave up on all of those things that were there to be done. I couldn't deal with them.
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Ladies and babies, and mortgages, for that matter, can all wait. Acting has done a strange thing to me, though. I often sit there, thinking, 'I love this, but I wouldn't put my daughter on the stage.'
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Before Juilliard, I was a schoolteacher for a little bit. I taught in a charter school. I was a substitute teacher for kids ages 3 to 6.
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It takes little talent to see what lies under one's nose, a good deal to know in what direction to point that organ.
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Eventually, before I die, I hope to have written about every part I've played.
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A fascinating reaction of the human brain when we fail to meet a goal is that it tells us to throw caution to the wind and make things even worse, which ultimately leads to us giving up.
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We are not actually equal - humanity - if we are not allowed to freely love one another.
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No humorist is under any obligation to provide answers and probably if you were to delve into the literary history of humour it's probably all about not providing answers because the humorist essentially says: this is the way things are.
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Boredom, after all, is a form of criticism.
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To speak specifically of our problem with the Muslim world, we are meandering into a genuine clash of civilizations, and we're deluding ourselves with euphemisms. We're talking about Islam being a religion of peace that's been hijacked by extremists. If ever there were a religion that's not a religion of peace, it is Islam.
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If I had to pick a favorite album, 'El Malo' would be one of them. That music is good old-fashioned medicine.
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I understand that the tendency of foreign countries in recent years has been to establish particularly close relations with one or two others among all the countries which have general relations. In time of peace, they make secret treaties in advance, and in wartime, they aid one another with military provisions and armaments.
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I have a ranch, which is my favorite place in the world.
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Do I support a driver's license for everybody? The answer is yes.
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Nutrition is so important. It can't be stressed enough.
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Novels aren't pedagogical instruments, or instructions in law or physics or any other discipline. A novel has to be an emotional experience, a trip of the imagination, and because science has raised so many issues that concern and affect humans, it's a good starting place for me.
