David Bergen Quotes

Powerful David Bergen for Daily Growth

About David Bergen

David Bergen, a Canadian novelist and short-story writer, was born on March 16, 1963, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His parents, both Mennonite, instilled in him a strong sense of faith and community, which have been significant influences in his works. Bergen grew up in a rural setting, which he often references in his novels. Bergen earned a degree in journalism from the University of Manitoba before moving to Toronto where he worked as a newspaper reporter for over a decade. During this time, he also pursued his passion for writing fiction, publishing his first novel, "The Time in Between," in 1998. The book was shortlisted for the Books in Canada First Novel Award. In 2005, Bergen published "The Retreat," a novel that gained critical acclaim and established him as a prominent voice in Canadian literature. The novel explores themes of faith, family, and community set against the backdrop of a Mennonite retreat. This was followed by "A Boy Stays with You," which won the Scotiabank Giller Prize in 2010. Bergen's most notable work is arguably "The Age of Hope," published in 2015. The novel, set during the H1N1 pandemic, tells the story of a small-town nurse and a migrant worker who form an unlikely bond amidst a global crisis. The book was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book (Canada and Caribbean Region). David Bergen continues to write novels that delve into the complexities of human relationships, often set against the stark landscapes of rural Canada. His works are noted for their emotional depth, nuanced characters, and thought-provoking themes.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Life is made up of moments, some that last a lifetime."

This quote by David Bergen implies that life is composed of significant instances or moments that leave an indelible impact, often enduring for the entirety of one's existence. It underscores the idea that these memorable experiences have the power to shape our identities and memories, making them a crucial aspect of living. In essence, Bergen suggests that life is more than just a collection of days or events; it's a tapestry woven with moments that define us.

"The best thing about stories is that they remind us we're not alone."

David Bergen's quote highlights the universal human need for connection and empathy. Stories serve as a bridge between individuals, allowing us to share experiences, emotions, and perspectives. By reading or listening to someone else's story, we can find comfort in knowing that others have gone through similar situations. This shared understanding helps foster a sense of unity and belonging among people, reminding us that despite our individual struggles and differences, we are not alone in the human experience.

"We can't change the past, but we can change what we make of it."

The quote emphasizes that while we cannot physically alter the events of our past, we have the power to control how those experiences shape our present and future. It encourages individuals to transform their past hardships or regrets into lessons learned and opportunities for growth, rather than being defined or limited by them.

"Love is like a river; it needs to flow, or it gets stagnant and foul."

This quote suggests that love requires constant movement or progression to remain healthy and pure. Just as a river must flow to avoid becoming stagnant and unhealthy, love must be nurtured and allowed to grow through regular expression and action, or it can become stale and negative. In other words, love needs to be lived, shared, and experienced for it to continue thriving.

"Everyone has a story. Some are just harder to find than others."

This quote emphasizes the universality of personal narratives, suggesting that every individual possesses their unique story or experiences. The difficulty in finding some stories implies that while everyone may have a life filled with events, not all of these stories are easily accessible, understood, or shared due to various factors such as privacy, fear, or the individual's ability to articulate their experiences. It underscores the importance of empathy, patience, and perseverance in uncovering people's hidden stories.

An editor is an accomplice, looking in from the outside. That objective view is essential. We don't write in a vacuum, and we don't publish in a vacuum.

- David Bergen

View, Vacuum, Editor, Accomplice

I think a construction project for me is like writing a novel. I can't do the project unless I can envision sort of the whole structure and see what the end result might be.

- David Bergen

Think, Like, I Think, Envision

I may not have written the stories that I've written if I hadn't ended up in Niverville. I don't know; I don't know. How can you know?

- David Bergen

How, May, Stories, I May Not

For me, when I 'discover' a story, there is a feeling of buoyancy and clarity, perhaps similar to early morning out on a prairie highway, when darkness lifts and reveals the outline of farmhouses and copses of trees in the distance.

- David Bergen

Distance, Discover, Similar, Outline

Failure is essential. Trial and error is necessary.

- David Bergen

Failure, Necessary, Error, Essential

I usually submit a novel at a certain number of words, and when I've finished working with my editor, the novel is longer than when I submitted it. I need my editor to help me open up the story.

- David Bergen

Need, Submit, Editor, Submitted

I tend to push whatever is looking over my shoulder away when I am writing. It's once the box of books arrive that I say I'm going to be pilloried for this or that. But then you realize it's done, and there is nothing I can do. I'm proud of the book.

- David Bergen

Book, Box, Away, Shoulder

What fascinates me as a writer is the stuff underneath, To me, what drives a novel is the curiosity behind the character and the depths that you want to find in that character.

- David Bergen

Curiosity, Want, Behind, Depths

I always have a book that I use that somehow inspires my novels.

- David Bergen

Book, Always, Use, Novels

I gave up writing for seven years (very biblical) and picked it up again, still clueless and still seeking the exotic, when I was twenty-one.

- David Bergen

Very, Still, Twenty-One, Exotic

One day, at my office, I wrote down some names and dates and notes, and I wrote a title, 'The Age of Despair,' and then some other 'Ages' - Innocence, God, Reason, Hope - and I wrote this as well: 'Woman, born in 1930, lives till the age of 80 or so, suffers depression, marries a car dealer, has children who grow up to confuse her.'

- David Bergen

Reason, Some, Other, Despair

At the age of twenty, having published nothing and having had little guidance in my reading, I decided that I wanted to write.

- David Bergen

Reading, Nothing, Having, Twenty

It took me ten years to write a proper story. I floundered about trying to shape something, counting on the 'feeling' I had as I wrote, only to discover upon rereading my work that the feeling had disappeared, and what remained was an empty shell.

- David Bergen

About, Proper, Had, Disappeared

In my brief writing life, it means I am still lucky that I have at least one more novel to complete. I do not expect that a story will arrive just because it is time to write another novel. It doesn't happen that way.

- David Bergen

Lucky, Another, Least, At Least One

That's the novelist's job: to peel back the layers and look underneath.

- David Bergen

Back, Layers, Peel, Underneath

The story wrote quickly. I called it 'Where You're From,' and I sent it out, as I had numerous other stories over the years. Except this time I got a letter back saying that it would be published. Someone out there had liked the story. I was thirty-one years old.

- David Bergen

Other, Quickly, Numerous, Letter

As a writer, you write the book, you give it to your editor, it's copy edited, it's published, it's thrown out there, and then there's a response.

- David Bergen

Give, Editor, Edited, Published

Invite characters of surprising and moral character, or at least those who grapple with what is right or those who make decisions that shock.

- David Bergen

Right, Shock, Least, Invite

In 1970, at the age of 14, I entered a short story contest offering a grand prize of one dollar. I won. This was my first foray into writing fiction. I loved reading and thought that it shouldn't be so hard to write a story.

- David Bergen

Thought, Fiction, Prize, Dollar

When I get moved to write a story, I don't question the story. I dive right in, and I try to ignore the voices that are chattering away at me: 'You can't do that', 'You shouldn't do that'. I just sort of leap and take a chance and go for it.

- David Bergen

Away, Get, Moved, Leap

The first accepted piece of writing is the most exciting. No other publishing experience matches it. Perhaps jaundice sets in, or expectations are raised, or one starts to think that one is better than is the truth.

- David Bergen

Think, Other, Sets, Publishing

Though I loved books as a young boy, I loved sports even more. I wanted to be a quarterback in the CFL.

- David Bergen

Loved, Books, Though, Quarterback

The IMPAC is a terribly important award.

- David Bergen

Important, Terribly, Award

I like characters who are contradictory.

- David Bergen

Like, Who, Characters, Contradictory

I was a big reader of Zane Grey as a young boy, and so horses and the West figured large in my imagination.

- David Bergen

Young, Big, Large, Horses

Books in general are great, but I'm a fiction lover, and I will continue to do it.

- David Bergen

Fiction, General, Books, Lover

A mentor, a 'teacher,' is like an editor. I absolutely value my editor, who is my teacher.

- David Bergen

Teacher, Mentor, Editor, Absolutely

Every year, the Giller jury is different. You write the best book you can and throw it out there.

- David Bergen

Book, Year, Throw, Jury

I think my writing was certainly shaped from having lived in a place like Niverville as well as by the family that I came from, the religion that I had, that type of thing.

- David Bergen

Think, I Think, Certainly, Shaped

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