39 Jane Smiley Quotes for You to Enjoy

Death Before Too Other Other Countries Hundreds Completed States Frank Frank Lloyd Wright Paradox Wright Countries New Like Look Most Around Buildings His York Just New York Famous Lived United United States Museum

I wrote the Dickens book because I loved Dickens, not because I felt a kinship with him, but after writing the book it seemed to me that there was at least one similarity between us and that was that Dickens loved to write and wrote with the ease and conviction of breathing. Me, too. Jane Smiley

A child who is protected from all controversial ideas is as vulnerable as a child who is protected from every germ. The infection, when it comes- and it will come- may overwhelm the system, be it the immune system or the belief system. Jane Smiley

Will Every System Immune Come Ideas Protected Vulnerable Germ Infection Overwhelm Child May Controversial Who Belief

I loved the house the way you would any new house, because it is populated by your future, the family of children who will fill it with noise or chaos and satisfying busy pleasures. Jane Smiley

Oh, that sound? I'm in the hot tub, reading a novel. Jane Smiley

Reading Hot Sound Tub Oh Novel

Your sons weren't made to like you. That's what grandchildren are for. Jane Smiley

You Made Sons Like Were Grandchildren Your

My mom was paranoid about my safety. Jane Smiley

Mom Safety Paranoid About

The thing about Republicans is that they don't care so much about respect, but they love fear, at least in others. Jane Smiley

Love Respect Fear Care Others About Least Republicans Much Thing

Ignorance and bloodlust have a long tradition in the United States, especially in the red states. Jane Smiley

Ignorance Long States Long Tradition Red Tradition United United States

When I came home for the summer after my first year of college, I told my mother that my best friend and I were driving to California. She laughed out loud - 2,000 miles in a what? Well, my best friend had an old Chevy. What could go wrong? Jane Smiley

Best Home Mother Old College First Year Summer Laughed Out Best Friend Could Had Driving Wrong California She Well Came Go Were Chevy Friend Loud After Miles

I have reared, or helped to rear, five children and the scariest bit, bar none, is the learning-to-drive part. It has filled me with anxiety not only about the children, but also about my former self and my friends. Jane Smiley

Me Anxiety Bit Scariest About Only Self Part Also None Friends Five Children Bar Former Rear Helped Filled

It once amused me that it took me three tries to pass my driver's test and that my driving instructor told my mother that I was the least talented person behind the wheel that she had ever taught. Jane Smiley

Sometimes, a novel is like a train: the first chapter is a comfortable seat in an attractive carriage, and the narrative speeds up. But there are other sorts of trains, and other sorts of novels. They rush by in the dark; passengers framed in the lighted windows are smiling and enjoying themselves. Jane Smiley

Chapter Dark Sometimes First Other Speeds Framed Carriage Rush Windows Lighted Like Attractive Smiling Sort Comfortable Narrative Passengers Up Train Trains Themselves Novel Novels Seat Enjoying

In his 30 years of broadcasting and publishing fiction, Garrison Keillor has set the laugh bar pretty high. Jane Smiley

Broadcasting Laugh High Pretty His Years Fiction Bar Publishing Set

In the traditional urban novel, there is only survival or not. The suburban idea, the conformist idea, that agony can be seen to and cured by doctors or psychoanalysis or self-knowledge is nowhere to be found in the city. Talking is a way of life, but it is not a cure. Same with religion. Jane Smiley

Life Religion Survival Seen Doctors Way City Only Idea Talking Self-Knowledge Traditional Cure Cured Same Psychoanalysis Suburban Conformist Urban Agony Novel Found Nowhere

An urban novelist never minds a little decay. Jane Smiley

Minds Never Decay Urban Little Novelist

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