24 Jamaica Kincaid Quotes for You to Enjoy

Jamaica Kincaid

Novelist

Born: May 25, 1949

Because Me People Think Writing You

Related authors: Charles Dickens Ernest Hemingway Gustave Flaubert James Baldwin John Updike Leo Rosten Paulo Coelho Walter Scott

I think life is difficult and that's that. I am not at all - absolutely not at all - interested in the pursuit of happiness. I am not interested in the pursuit of positivity. I am interested in pursuing a truth, and the truth often seems to be not happiness but its opposite. Jamaica Kincaid

Happiness Life Truth Difficult Think Positivity Seems Pursuing Absolutely Pursuit Pursuit Of Happiness Absolutely Not Am Opposite Often Not Interested Interested

I've never gotten used to winter and never will. Jamaica Kincaid

Winter Will Never Gotten Used

The English language started out as a distortion in my life, but nothing remains the same, and so the distortion is now just normal. That is one of the things that will happen to all distortions: They become normal and turn into something else. Jamaica Kincaid

Life Language Will My Life Become Nothing Else Distortion Out One Of The Things Something Something Else Remains Normal Same Just Happen Turn English English Language Now Things Started

Race is not particularly interesting to me. Power is. Who has power and who doesn't. Slavery interests me because it's an incredible violation that has not stopped. It's necessary to talk about that. Race is a diversion. Jamaica Kincaid

Me Power Incredible About Diversion Particularly Talk Because Stopped Interesting Race Interests Who Necessary Violation Slavery

One doesn't have to pursue unhappiness. It comes to you. You come into the world screaming. You cry when you're born because your lungs expand. You breathe. I think that's really kind of significant. You come into the world crying, and it's a sign that you're alive. Jamaica Kincaid

I have a sense of destiny because of my mother, who was an extraordinary person but a terrible candidate for mother. She was like the god Cronus, who gave birth to his children in the morning and then ate them at night. Jamaica Kincaid

I used to want to be a backup singer. Not a lead singer, because I really can't sing. Jamaica Kincaid

Backup Lead Lead Singer Sing Singer Because Want Really Used

It is true that I am a writer, and I was married to a composer, and I have lived in a small village in New England, but my children are not named Heracles and Persephone, and my daughter doesn't disappear underground every six months and emerge in the spring. Jamaica Kincaid

For me, writing isn't a way of being public or private; it's just a way of being. The process is always full of pain, but I like that. It's a reality, and I just accept it as something not to be avoided. Jamaica Kincaid

Me Reality Writing Pain Way Something Like Accept Always Private Just Being Process Public Full Avoided

I think in many ways the problem that my writing would have with an American reviewer is that Americans find difficulty very hard to take. They are inevitably looking for a happy ending. Jamaica Kincaid

Happy Writing Problem Ending Looking Think Difficulty Ways Would Find Take Inevitably Reviewer Very American Happy Ending Hard Many

I'm so used to being misunderstood. Jamaica Kincaid

Misunderstood Being Being Misunderstood Used

I like cooking, but I think someone else ought to do the dishes. Jamaica Kincaid

Cooking Think Else Ought Someone Like Dishes

I like melancholy. I like to pretend that I'm alone in the world and I'm just sort of abandoned. Jamaica Kincaid

Alone World Melancholy Abandoned Pretend Like Sort Just

I grew up in this poor place, with very limited circumstances, at about 16 years of age was sent by my family to work, and instead of remaining in the position into which I was sent, I somehow worked my way out of it without any help from anyone, just luck. Jamaica Kincaid

Work Family Age Luck Way Circumstances Out About Somehow Remaining Instead Without Limited Years Up Very Any Just Anyone Grew Place Which Sent Poor Worked Help Position

You know how some people write every day at a certain point? I'm not like that. I carry something around for a long time. I weigh the words and the sentences. I weigh the paragraphs. The process is much more meditative for me. Jamaica Kincaid

Time Day Me You Every Day People Words Some People Long Long Time Every Carry Paragraphs Some Something More Point Write Weigh Like Know Around How Process Sentences Much Certain Certain Point

Children like their mothers especially to be standing still and watching them, even if they are sleeping. At least that's how I felt. There's nothing wrong with the self-interest of children; it's just the way they are. Jamaica Kincaid

Nothing Sleeping Way Wrong Like Felt Self-Interest How Mothers Least Still Just Children Them Standing Even Watching

Tomorrow exists even though I may not exist in it. Jamaica Kincaid

Tomorrow Though Exist Exists May Even

I write a lot in my head. The revision goes on internally. It's not spontaneous and it doesn't have a schedule. Jamaica Kincaid

Schedule Write Head Spontaneous Lot Revision Goes

When I write nonfiction, it's always absolutely true. There will be no moment in my nonfiction where I have made something up and have to apologize to the bullying hostess of a talk show. Jamaica Kincaid

Bullying Will Made Something Absolutely Write Hostess True Talk Talk Show Always Nonfiction Up Where Apologize Show Moment

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