Quotes by Novelists

The price one pays for pursuing any profession, or calling, is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side. James Baldwin

Knowledge Ugly Side Intimate Pursuing Price Calling Any Pays Profession

To act is to be committed, and to be committed is to be in danger. James Baldwin

Danger Committed Act

When a man asks himself what is meant by action he proves that he isn't a man of action. Action is a lack of balance. In order to act you must be somewhat insane. A reasonably sensible man is satisfied with thinking. James Baldwin

You Man Balance Action Satisfied Thinking Insane Must Somewhat He Himself Proves Lack Order Sensible Ask Act Meant Reasonably

The future is like heaven, everyone exalts it, but no one wants to go there now. James Baldwin

Future Everyone No-One Like Go Heaven Wants Now

No people come into possession of a culture without having paid a heavy price for it. James Baldwin

Culture People Possession Having Price Come Without Heavy Paid

The question of sexual dominance can exist only in the nightmare of that soul which has armed itself, totally, against the possibility of the changing motion of conquest and surrender, which is love. James Baldwin

Love Soul Surrender Changing Possibility Sexual Totally Only Armed Motion Exist Question Dominance Itself Which Against Conquest Nightmare

It is a very rare man who does not victimize the helpless. James Baldwin

Man Rare Does Very Who Helpless

While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction. James Branch Cabell

Time Important Enough Direction More Point Footprints Well Make Well Enough Sure Leave Commendable While Sands Even

I write of the wish that comes true - for some reason, a terrifying concept. James M. Cain

Wish Some Write True Concept Terrifying Reason

What's invisible to us is also crucial for our own well-being. Jeanette Winterson

Own Our Crucial Invisible Also Well-Being Us

What you risk reveals what you value. Jeanette Winterson

You Value Risk Reveals

Whether you want to call it God or the mystery of the cosmos doesn't matter to me. Jeanette Winterson

God Me You Matter Cosmos Mystery Call Want Whether

Although in my life the level of loss has never reached the extremes it does in 'The Winter People,' I certainly can identify with being both a daughter longing for her mother and being a mother who is almost scared by the intensity of her love for her daughter. Jennifer McMahon

Life Love Winter People Mother My Life Daughter Longing Extremes Scared Both Never Almost Reached Identify Although Does Loss Intensity Being Certainly Who Her Level

Broken relationships are a source of heavy heartbreak that seem to affect every family. Jerry B. Jenkins

Family Broken Every Relationships Seem Affect Source Heartbreak Heavy

In my opinion, Jesus is God's attempt to reach man. But while I believe Jesus is the way to God, it makes no sense to hate people who disagree. Jerry B. Jenkins

God Man Hate People Disagree Sense Believe Way No Sense Attempt Reach Makes Opinion In My Opinion While Who Jesus

I always understood my ancestry, like that of so many others in the Gulf Coast, to be a tangle of African slaves, free men of color, French and Spanish immigrants, British colonists, Native Americans - but in what proportion, and what might that proportion tell me about who I thought I was? Jesmyn Ward

Me Thought Men Free Others Ancestry Tell Immigrants Gulf Gulf Coast About Colonists Free Men Color Proportion Like French Always Understood Tangle American African Native Native Americans Spanish Might Coast Who Many Slaves British

I celebrate my blackness. I love the artistic vibrancy of the culture I was born to. Jesmyn Ward

Love Celebrate Culture Born Blackness Artistic

My mother had abandoned the family, so grandmother raised me. And she was instrumental in that she taught me that the world is a glorious place. She taught me to embrace humanity. And she'd say there's never an excuse for joy. And to be thankful. Jewell Parker Rhodes

Duty largely consists of pretending that the trivial is critical. John Fowles

Pretending Duty Consists Critical Trivial Largely