Andrew Motion Quotes
I write between 5.30am and 9.00. That way, I hope I carry over something from my dream time.
Quotes to Explore
-
I'm a Canadian. Outside Canada I carry the flag. Canadian nationalism isn't as insidious as American nationalism, though. It's good natured. It's all about maple syrup, not war.
-
I traveled so much to dance that I feel a part of many places, but New York is where I spent most of my life and where my career has been - it's the place where I exist.
-
I only buy a computer when it's two years old, after the glitches have been worked out.
-
During my second draft pass on my last book I made 20,000 words happen in a week, which is practically supernatural for me, and it would never have been possible without three nights in a hotel in my own city.
-
I first started writing fiction in college because I was attracted to beautiful sentences. I loved to read them. I wanted to write them.
-
I saw an interview that I did with someone, and I was horrified by it. And I said to my wife, 'This is unbearable how I talk.'
-
I grew up in California, and when I read that Proposition 8 was on the ballot, I was disappointed because it seemed to be inconsistent with the spirit of the state, with the independence and diversity of the frontier that California has always been.
-
I think chemistry and great acting go hand-in-hand.
-
The security and the future of Jordan is hand-in-hand with the future of the Palestinians and the Israelis.
-
I would hate for my father to regret all his support that he's given me over the years and be embarrassed by anything I chose to do.
-
Arithmetic is where the answer is right and everything is nice and you can look out of the window and see the blue sky - or the answer is wrong and you have to start over and try again and see how it comes out this time.
-
I don't think I've ever met any single person who has been vulgar. But you know, you learn along the way that some people are going to be very generous, and other people... It's just not innate within them. Sometimes I think you just have to decide if you're going to stand up and get on with it or if you're going to be crushed and threatened.
-
The secret of happiness is to admire without desiring. And that is not happiness.
-
I cannot believe that violence depicted onscreen actually causes people to act out violently. That's oversimplifying the issue. If somebody commits a violent act after seeing violence in a movie, I think the question that needs to be asked is: would that person still have committed the act if he had not seen a violent film?
-
As they marched, the crowds lining the route broke into applause, a sweet and deeply felt spontaneous pattering that was a sort of communal embrace. Welcome home.
-
The most exciting happiness is the happiness generated by forces beyond your control.
-
I like naturally occurring film grain, and what happens to film when it's under- and over-exposed.
-
Private education can give you confidence, which is marvellous; a sense of entitlement isn't.
-
Sweden had paternity-leave policies in place for years but found that few men were taking advantage of the benefit. While women felt comfortable taking time off to be with baby, men worried that they would look less dedicated to their careers if they did the same. So the Swedish government implemented a “use it or lose it” policy, mandating that the country’s thirteen-month parental leave cannot only be used by one parent – the other parent must use at least two months of the leave, or both lose those months entirely. Today 85% of Swedish fathers take paternity leave. The policy has helped redefine notions of masculinity and femininity in the already-egalitarian country.
-
As with marathon runs and lengths of toilet paper, there had to be standards to measure up to.
-
I grew up in the '70s and '80s, at a time that I'd argue was the absolute golden age of American popular culture. Because not only did we have all of the fantastic new stuff in print and on screens, but we had a constant supply of everything that came before, as well.
-
Writing is a lonely business.
-
I inhale hope with every breath I take.
-
I write between 5.30am and 9.00. That way, I hope I carry over something from my dream time.
