517 quotes by jamaican authors for you to enjoy

Basically, I'm motivated to write about sociopolitical issues as well as relationships. I think those themes have stayed with me throughout my life. Jimmy Cliff

Life Me My Life Think Relationships Those Stayed About Throughout Write Well Motivated Issues Themes Basically

I don't go to see bands any more because I've got tinnitus, so I have to avoid loud music. You get used to it, but when it's quiet you hear a constant ringing. Linton Kwesi Johnson

Music You Ringing Constant See More Because Got Go Hear Loud Quiet Bands Get Any Used Avoid

I have never, ever sought validation from the arbiters of British poetic taste. Linton Kwesi Johnson

Validation Poetic Never Sought Taste Ever British

Back in those early days when I began my apprenticeship as a poet, I also tried to voice our anger, spirit of defiance and resistance in a Jamaican poetic idiom. Linton Kwesi Johnson

Anger Defiance Poet Apprenticeship Back Our Those Tried Spirit Poetic Voice Days Also Idiom Began Early Resistance Early Days

I wrote two poems about the '81 uprisings: 'Di Great Insohreckshan' and 'Mekin Histri.' I wrote those two poems from the perspective of those who had taken part in the Brixton riots. The tone of the poem is celebratory because I wanted to capture the mood of exhilaration felt by black people at the time. Linton Kwesi Johnson

The modern stuff, I can take it or leave it. I like its danceability, but the DJs talk a lot of nonsense. Linton Kwesi Johnson

Take Stuff Like Talk Nonsense Leave Lot Modern

Younger people are discovering my work, even though my reggae is not like theirs. Linton Kwesi Johnson

Work People Though Like Discovering Reggae Younger Younger People Even

I'm really interested in how non-American countries process race. Marlon James

Countries How Process Interested Race Really

'The Daily Mail' interviewed my friends in Jamaica to find out if I was ever the victim of a vicious homophobic attack because, to them, I'm a gay refugee. But nothing like that happened. So, no surprise, that story didn't appear. I'm really pretty boring. Marlon James

Daily Gay Victim Nothing Out Find Boring Pretty Attack Mail Like Because Surprise Friends Refugee Jamaica Happened Vicious Story Them Really Appear Ever Homophobic

I find the violence in PG13 movies unbearable. This kid will never run home, never have another birthday. His death is slow, nightmarish. And you have to explore the consequences - the people who live on with this death. Marlon James

There was never a single murder in my neighbourhood; there was barely a robbery. It was so suburban, it was almost disappointing. Marlon James

Single Neighbourhood Never Almost Disappointing Robbery Suburban Barely

In 1976, Rastafarians were one of the most violated, persecuted groups in Jamaica. They could be beaten within an inch of their lives, or detained for two years, just for being found in a 'proper' neighbourhood. Marlon James

Neighbourhood Detained Proper Could Beaten Most Within Were Years Persecuted Just Being Jamaica Inch Groups Found Lives Violated Two

If your depiction of loss doesn't make the reader feel loss, then you didn't depict it right. Marlon James

You Feel Make Reader Loss Depict Depiction Then Your Right

Not every gay person recites poetry or has read Keats. You can get readers through anything if the characters are complicated. You can't dismiss Josey Wales' quite liberal worldview. Marlon James

Gay You Complicated Worldview Every Liberal Characters Poetry Through Read Readers Wales Person Get Quite Anything Dismiss Keats

If reggae comes from another country, you can have the relationship to reggae that I have to rock. But it's something I grew up with. It's probably something I appreciate more now. In the '80s, I was all about New Wave and synth pop - New Order and Depeche Mode and Eurythmics and Michael Jackson and tons and tons and tons of Prince. Marlon James

Relationship You Country Wave Synth About Something More New Prince Another Rock New Order Up Michael Michael Jackson Mode Jackson Depeche Order Grew Reggae Pop Now Appreciate Tons

What I find, particularly with young writers and readers, is that they don't want complicated feelings. Marlon James

Complicated Feelings Young Find Writers Particularly Readers Want Young Writers

I'm happy to not know what I think about stuff; I'm happy to change my mind. But it's relatively recently that I've been able to apply that to feelings. I used to like to know what I felt. I didn't want those feelings to be complicated or muddled or clashing. Marlon James

I'm not a writer on a mission, and I'm very suspicious of writers on missions, but I'm also not living a false life. Marlon James

Life Living Writer Writers Mission Missions Also False Very Suspicious

In creative writing, I teach that characters arise out of our need for them. Marlon James

Creative Writing Our Out Characters Arise Them Teach Creative Writing Need

I let my game do the talking. I've had incidents like that but when I compare my own story to the stories that have happened forty or fifty years ago particularly to Jackie Robinson for example. Maurice Ashley

He actually came up to me and we started speaking. And from that conversation we were able to come to a meeting of the minds and it seemed as if it was clear to me that he wanted to do similar things to what I wanted to do. Maurice Ashley

Me Conversation Meeting Minds Able Seemed Similar He Clear Come Came Were Up Wanted Speaking Actually Things Started

Quotes by jamaican authors