9377 quotes by novelists for you to enjoy

I was a lesbian for a semester at Wesleyan - it was a graduation requirement. Ayelet Waldman

Lesbian Semester Graduation Requirement

So many women today have become so focused on their children, they've developed these romantic entanglements with their children's lives, and the husbands are secondary. They're left out. And the romantic focus is on the children. Ayelet Waldman

Today Women Focus Become Secondary Focused Out Husbands Developed Left Children Romantic Many Lives

I have made so many mistakes as a mother. But the one thing that I know I do is I make sure my children know how much I love them and they are absolutely secure in that. Ayelet Waldman

Love Mother Made Mistakes Secure One Thing Absolutely Know Make Sure How How Much Children The One Thing Them Much Many Thing

I wrote three novels in six months, with a clarity of focus and attention to detail that I had never before experienced. This type of sublime creative energy is characteristic of the elevated and productive mood state known as hypomania. Ayelet Waldman

Creative Focus Three Before Energy State Type Months Mood Characteristic Clarity Detail Never Had Attention Wrote Known Sublime Six Experienced Productive Creative Energy Novels Elevated

I'm sure there are people who survive tragedy without humor, but I've never met any of them. Nor would I be particularly interested in writing about them if I did meet them. Ayelet Waldman

People Writing Humor Met Meet Would About Never Particularly Sure Without Nor Tragedy Survive Did Any Interested Them Who

I mean, I absolutely call myself a feminist. And by that, I mean a woman who believes that your opportunities should not be constrained by your gender, that women should be entitled to the same opportunities as men. Ayelet Waldman

Myself Woman Women Opportunities Men Gender Entitled Constrained Absolutely Call Feminist Same Mean Should Your Who Believes

A historical romance is the only kind of book where chastity really counts. Barbara Cartland

Book Kind Only Chastity Counts Historical Romance Where Really

Someone asked me the other day what it feels like to see all my 'old stuff' reappearing, at long last, in digital. And I had to smile because to me it doesn't feel like 'old stuff.' Barbara Hambly

Smile Day Me Old Digital Long Other See Someone Had Feel Stuff Feels Like Because Asked Old Stuff Last

I think the most interesting parts of human experience might be the sparks that come from that sort of chipping flint of cultures rubbing against each other. Barbara Kingsolver

Experience Think Other Come Most Sort Parts Cultures Human Against Interesting Human Experience Chipping Might Sparks Flint Each Rubbing

Every time I step onto an airplane, I turn to the right and take a good, hard stare into the maw of the engine. I don't know what I'm looking for. I just do it. Barbara Kingsolver

Time Good Looking Just Do It Every Every Time Airplane Onto Take Step Know Just Turn Engine Hard Stare Right

Small change, small wonders - these are the currency of my endurance and ultimately of my life. Barbara Kingsolver

Life Change My Life Small Ultimately Currency Wonders Endurance

I'm not pretending to be ingenuous; I know what I'm doing. Barbara Kingsolver

Pretending Know Doing

I used to think religion was just more of the same thing. Dump responsibility on the big guy. Now I see an importance in that. It's a relief to accept that not everything is under your control. Barbara Kingsolver

I don't bring expectations to any of my books. I don't tell people what to do. I want to invite them in. Barbara Kingsolver

People Books Tell Invite Expectations Any Want Them Bring

It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't. Barbara Kingsolver

You Guess Would See Up Quicker Them Grow Grow Up

When you pick up a novel from the bed side table, you put down your own life at the same time and you become another person for the duration. Barbara Kingsolver

Life Time You Become Own Down Side Table Pick Put Another Bed Up Person Duration Same Same Time Your Novel

Being a novelist and being a mother have exactly coincided in my life: the call from my agent saying that I had a contract for my first novel - that was on my answering phone message when I got back from the hospital with my first child. Barbara Kingsolver

I suppose that is my central obsession. What we owe to society, what we owe to ourselves. Barbara Kingsolver

Society Ourselves Obsession Suppose Owe Central

Motherhood is so sentimentalised and romanticised in our culture. It's practically against the law to say there are moments in the day when you hate your children. Everyone actually has those moments. Barbara Kingsolver

Day You Culture Hate Law Motherhood Everyone Our Say Those Practically Children Against Your Moments Actually

I love developing children as characters. Children rarely have important roles in literary fiction - they are usually defined as cute or precious, or they create a plot by being kidnapped or dying. Barbara Kingsolver

Love Important Cute Defined Kidnapped Plot Characters Rarely Developing Important Roles Precious Roles Being Children Fiction Dying Literary Literary Fiction Create

Quotes by Novelists