50 Tom Wolfe Quotes for You to Enjoy

Tom Wolfe

American Journalist

Born: Mar 2, 1931

Died: May 14, 2018

Life Me People Think Time You

Related authors: Ambrose Bierce Dave Barry Erma Bombeck Hunter S. Thompson Mignon McLaughlin Walter Cronkite William F. Buckley, Jr. William Lloyd Garrison

I used to go through the dictionary looking for unusual but nontechnical words. At one time, I thought the greatest word was 'jejune' and I would throw it into every piece because something about it appealed to me. Tom Wolfe

By the 1950s The Novel had become a nationwide tournament. There was a magical assumption that the end of World War II in 1945 was the dawn of a new golden age of the American Novel, like the Hemingway-Dos Passos-Fitzgerald era after World War I. Tom Wolfe

There was a time in the 1930s when magazine writers could actually make a good living. 'The Saturday Evening Post' and 'Collier's' both had three stories in each issue. These were usually entertaining, and people really went for them. But then television came along, and now of course, information technology... the new way of killing time. Tom Wolfe

Time Good Technology People Post Three Living Good Living Way Television Entertaining Magazine Both Could Writers Had New Along Make Course Came Issue Were New Way Stories Information Information Technology Them Then Really Each Evening Now Saturday Actually

In the U.S., the term 'general aviation' means its exact opposite, the way 'public school' does in England. An English public school is private and, on top of that, exclusive. Likewise, general-aviation airports in the U.S. are for everyone but the general public. Tom Wolfe

There has been a time on earth when poets had been young and dead and famous - and were men. But now the poet as the tragic child of grandeur and destiny had changed. The child of genius was a woman, now, and the man was gone. Tom Wolfe

Radical Chic, after all, is only radical in Style; in its heart it is part of Society and its traditions. Tom Wolfe

Heart Style Radical Society Only Part Traditions Chic After

I don't think journalists should talk about whom they're voting for. Tom Wolfe

Voting Think About Journalists Talk Should Whom

The newspaper is, in fact, very bad for one's prose style. That's why I gravitated towards feature stories where you get a little more leeway in the writing style. Tom Wolfe

You Writing Style Bad More Feature Fact Writing Style Prose Towards Leeway Very Get Where In Fact Stories Little Newspaper Why

I'm a great believer in outlines. Tom Wolfe

Great Great Believer Outlines Believer

Television reporters aren't really called reporters. They are called researchers. And that's really all they are. Tom Wolfe

Television Reporters Really Researchers

My father was the editor of an agricultural magazine called 'The Southern Planter.' He didn't think of himself as a writer. He was a scientist, an agronomist, but I thought of him as a writer because I'd seen him working at his desk. I just assumed that I was going to do that, that I was going to be a writer. Tom Wolfe

Working on newspapers, you're writing to a certain length, often very brief pieces; you tend to look for easy forms of humor - women can't drive, things like that. That's about the level of a lot of newspaper humor. It becomes a form of laziness. Tom Wolfe

You Women Writing Humor Drive Laziness Easy About Tend Like Look Pieces Becomes Lot Very Often Form Forms Length Newspaper Newspapers Certain Working Brief Level Things

If I had my choice, I would be writing by typewriter. I worked on newspapers for 10 years. I typed with the touch system, and unfortunately, you can't keep typewriters going today. You have to take the ribbons back to be re-inked. You have to - it's a horrible search to try to find missing parts. So I went to the computer. Tom Wolfe

Today You Writing Try Typed Back Typewriter System Would Would-Be Find Horrible Touch Computer Take Had Missing Parts Years Going Unfortunately Newspapers Worked Choice Search Keep

Philip Roth is a fabulous writer, but he pretty much stays within his own life. He's so good - I mean, practically anything I've ever read of his I've really enjoyed. He just has tremendous talent. But I think he should have given himself a break and gone deeper into the society. Tom Wolfe

Life Good Own Gone Think Society Philip Tremendous Fabulous Pretty Stays Given Writer He Talent Himself Practically Read Within His Just Anything Break Mean Much Really Should Roth Deeper Ever Enjoyed

So many people in this country have a dual loyalty. They have loyalty to America, but they also are determined to have their parade up Fifth Avenue once a year... a Cuban parade or a Puerto Rican parade - many other countries. So they really don't forget. Tom Wolfe

Loyalty People Country Year Avenue Other Other Countries Once Once A Year Parade Determined Countries Also Cuban Dual Up America Forget So Many People Rican Fifth Really Many Puerto Puerto Rican

I think of evolution as a myth, like the Norse myths, the Greek myths - anybody's myths. But it was created for a rational age. Tom Wolfe

Age Myth Think Evolution Rational Myths Like Greek Anybody Created

I was sitting in my office when someone called to tell me two light planes had collided with the World Trade Centre. I turned on my television; before long, there was this procession of people of all kinds walking up the street. What I remember most was the silence of that crowd; there was no sound. Tom Wolfe

Me Silence People World Remember Light Long Before Television Tell Kinds Someone Crowd Had Most Trade Sound Up Walking Office Sitting Procession Centre Turned Planes Street World Trade Two

The greatest promotion I ever had on a newspaper was when 'The Washington Post' suddenly promoted me from city-side general assignment reporter to Latin American correspondent and sent me off to Cuba. Fidel Castro had just come to power. It was a very exciting assignment, but also very serious. Tom Wolfe

Me Post Power Latin Latin American Correspondent Promoted Promotion General Castro Had Exciting Come Also Cuba Greatest Off Very American Reporter Just Fidel Castro Sent Newspaper Serious Washington Suddenly Washington Post Ever Assignment

I read somewhere that writers, as they get older, become more and more perfectionist. Which may be because they think more highly of themselves and they worry about their reputations. I think there's some truth to that. Tom Wolfe

In the 1930s, all the novelists had seemed to be people who came blazing up into stardom from out of total obscurity. That seemed to be the nature of the beast. The biographical notes on the dustjackets of the novels were terrific. Tom Wolfe

Nature People Beast Out Total Seemed Obscurity Had Blazing Terrific Came Were Up Notes Who Novelists Novels Stardom

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