E. L. Doctorow Quotes
When I'm writing, I like to seal everything off and face the wall, not to look outside the window. The only way out is through the sentences.
Quotes to Explore
-
When I look at the world I'm pessimistic, but when I look at people I am optimistic.
-
Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day.
-
Consciousness is indeed always with us. Everyone knows 'I am!' No one can deny his own being.
-
Home is, I suppose just a child's idea. A house at night, and a lamp in the house. A place to feel safe.
-
The Japanese version comes with a translation, but that's different from the lyrics, so people could look things up and find a translation of their own if they're interested.
-
I made sacrifices willingly; it was what I did best.
-
Chris Messina is amazing, and he's so serious - he's, like, a proper actor! He's got craft! I love to watch him. But not in a creepy way.
-
People are getting careers from YouTube and uploading videos. And they're totally different - you can't necessarily be funny on a video, and then all of a sudden you're live in a theater. You don't have the tools yet. It's a lot more involved to go from being funny on a little iPhone screen to being live in front of people and being funny.
-
The guitar for me is a translation device. It's not a goal. And in some ways, jazz isn't a destination for me. For me, jazz is a vehicle that takes you to the true destination - a musical one that describes all kinds of stuff about the human condition and the way music works.
-
My hat's off to Shonda Rhimes.
-
I've got a couple of Harleys and a couple of Ducatis.
-
Not obsessed with particularly Nike, but sneakers in general. I love them.
-
I did do some Shakespeare on film, it's really difficult. It's really interesting, because I was doing a series in Canada called 'Slings and Arrows' and it was about a company based around the Stratford Festival.
-
'Vanity' means worthlessness.
-
I have to accept the fact that, no matter what I do, it's going to annoy someone.
-
A new reader shouldn't be able to find you in your work, though someone who's read more may begin to.
-
Folks like me have to feel a little indebted to the communities that they came from. And if they do, I think we'll start to see a little bit more of a geographic integration in the country because people will start to think, 'You know what? I owe that place something, and I should return to it in one form or another.'
-
For gay people, we learned about our lives in secrecy and a lot of fear.
-
Suddenly, I found I was married to a millionaire.
-
I was still proud of that momentback thenwhen Jed handed methat pintandI draineda third of itwith all the discipleswatching.damn, there was no wayit seemedwe could everlosebut we did.and it took me3 or 4 decades tomove on just alittle.and Jed,if you are still heretonight,(I forgot to tell youthen)here's a thanksfor that drink.
-
I guess I'm a really analytical person, but when I'm writing, all that stuff goes behind a screen. Analysis and taking things apart is really important and really interesting, but it's the direct opposite of creating something, which has to do with taking things and putting them together and hoping to make something unique that's more than the sum of its parts. And you can't do that with analysis, you can only take things into smaller and smaller pieces.
-
I'm a more skilled writer now, but after 23 books it's harder to be fresh and that's really important to me. I don't want to write the same thing over and over again.
-
You've got to be flexible. Directors do a massive amount of planning and homework, and if after all that your director decides to throw it all out of the window and shoot spontaneously, then you must follow his lead.
-
When I'm writing, I like to seal everything off and face the wall, not to look outside the window. The only way out is through the sentences.
