19 Philipp Meyer Quotes for You to Enjoy

Philipp Meyer

American Writer

Born: 1974

Book Parents School Work Years You

Related authors: Dale Carnegie Denis Waitley Dr. Seuss H. L. Mencken Napoleon Hill Ray Bradbury W. E. B. Du Bois William Arthur Ward

When you start to look at Native American history, you realize that, very far from being a peaceful, morally superior people, Native Americans were not that different from Europeans. Philipp Meyer

I didn't fit the typical profile of a trader. I was an English major working on a novel at night. Most everyone else was a maths or economics major; most everyone else had relatives or family in banking. Philipp Meyer

You have to believe in yourself and only trust your own vision and instincts. If I'd listened to what other people thought about my work in the first 10 years that I was a writer, I never would have made it to begin with. Philipp Meyer

Work You Trust Yourself People Vision Believe In Yourself Thought Made First Own Believe Other Would About Only Writer Never Instincts Years Begin Listened Your

Life throws up enough road blocks to keep you from writing; you can't be adding to them yourself by saying you can only write in one specific place. I'm in New York half the time and Texas half the time, and I work wherever - in my computer bag I have some foam ear plugs that I can put in. Philipp Meyer

Life Work Saying Time You Yourself Writing Half Enough Adding Foam Some Only Computer Write Throws Put Road Bag New Half The Time Blocks Texas Up York New York Wherever Place Them Keep Specific Ear

Since I quit banking, all my major life decisions, when they could, have revolved around writing. Philipp Meyer

Life Writing Could Since Major Around Quit Banking Decisions

My first published novel, 'American Rust,' took three and a half years of full-time work to write. But I wrote two apprentice novels before that. Philipp Meyer

Work Three First Half Before Apprentice Took Rust Write Wrote Half Years Years American Full-Time Novel Novels Published Two

I thought that I would have a huge literary novel coming out when I was, like, 29. I quit my banking job, and I was halfway through my second novel - and I will never publish it, because it's very mediocre. Philipp Meyer

I try to begin writing as close to a dreamlike state as I can get. Philipp Meyer

Writing Try State Begin Close Get

I don't think you can be taught how to make art. You can be coached, but on a fundamental level you have to figure it out for yourself. You have to learn how your own mind works, figure out your own relationship to the art; you essentially have to invent it completely for yourself. Philipp Meyer

When you look at 'Grapes of Wrath,' the weakest moments are those in which Steinbeck is spouting a political idea directly at the reader. The book's real power comes from its slower, broader movement. Philipp Meyer

You Book Political Power Broader Those Weakest Slower Wrath Directly Idea Look Reader Real Real Power Movement Which Grapes Moments

Your job as a writer is to find storylines, narrative structures, and characters to show the things that you believe rather than saying them or telling them. Philipp Meyer

Saying You Job Believe Characters Telling Find Rather Structures Writer Narrative Than Them Your Show Things

When novels deal in abstractions, they generally go off the rails. Philipp Meyer

Generally Abstraction Deal Go Off Novels Rails

When people grow up in atmospheres of violence or atmospheres of poverty, they don't normally use hi-falutin' language to describe those things. They would describe some brutal event the same way we would describe getting a taxi or missing the bus. Philipp Meyer

I couldn't understand what was important about school. Dropping out was the first adult decision I made. If I ever have kids, I would hate for them to drop out. But I wasn't a rebel. I never cared to be against school. I just wanted to do what I wanted to do. Philipp Meyer

When I finish a book, I get extremely restless; I have to aggressively find ways to occupy myself; going off into the woods alone, doing things that are physically or mentally demanding to keep myself busy until the next big idea comes. Philipp Meyer

Alone Myself Book Demanding Big Busy Extremely Ways Find Restless Finish Physically Mentally Idea Until Occupy Doing Off Big Idea Get Going Woods Next Keep Things

At Cornell University, it was well known that after five years on Wall Street, you could expect to be making half a million a year in salary and bonus; after 10 years, you could expect a million or more. I had 60 grand of university debt, and my parents had no retirement. I needed that money. Philipp Meyer

You Money Parents Half Year Bonus More Could Had Retirement Well Well Known Known Making Years Salary Debt Five Expect Wall Wall Street After Grand Street Million Needed University

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