Edward P. Jones Quotes

Powerful Edward P. Jones for Daily Growth

About Edward P. Jones

Edward P. Jones, an acclaimed American author, was born on July 10, 1950, in Cambridge, Maryland. Growing up in the racially-segregated South, his experiences in rural Maryland greatly influenced his literary work. After attending the historically black Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jones moved to Washington D.C., where he worked as a reporter and editor for several newspapers. His first major work, "Lost in the City," was published in 1992, a collection of short stories that depicted the lives of African Americans in Washington D.C. This work brought him widespread recognition, earning the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction in 1993. In 2003, Jones released his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Known World." Set in Virginia during the post-Civil War era, it tells the story of a former slave who becomes a plantation owner and explores the complexities of race, identity, and power. This novel further solidified Jones's place as one of America's foremost authors. Jones's work is characterized by his vivid portrayals of African American life, particularly in urban settings, and his ability to weave historical events into deeply personal stories. His writing style combines the spareness of Hemingway with the rich detail of Faulkner. Edward P. Jones continues to write and teach, most recently as a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. His work has been widely translated and is studied in universities around the world.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The world is full of magic things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."

This quote emphasizes that the world is rich with hidden, extraordinary phenomena which are often overlooked due to our limited perception. It encourages us to develop our senses and awareness to appreciate the magic and wonder in everyday experiences, suggesting that there's more to life than what we currently perceive. Essentially, it inspires us to expand our consciousness and observe the world with a sense of curiosity and wonder.

"It is possible that in the end love is not a feeling at all but an act of will, like courage or patience."

This quote suggests that love may not be primarily based on feelings, but rather it is a conscious decision, an act of personal commitment and resilience - much like courage or patience. It implies that love is not merely a fleeting emotion, but a sustained effort to care for another person despite challenges or changes in feelings.

"People don't change, they just become more clearly what they are."

This quote suggests that individuals do not fundamentally transform or metamorphose over time, but rather, their true nature - their core characteristics, values, and tendencies - becomes increasingly apparent as they grow older and encounter various experiences in life. It implies that while people may learn new skills, adapt to circumstances, or modify certain aspects of their behavior, their inherent qualities remain constant. Thus, understanding oneself and others involves recognizing these underlying traits rather than expecting radical changes.

"History is only what we remember and choose to remember."

This quote by Edward P. Jones emphasizes that our understanding of history is subjective and selective, shaped by our memories and conscious choices about what we deem important or worthy of recall. It suggests that the narrative of history, as commonly understood, is not an objective truth but a construct based on collective human experiences and perceptions. This insight encourages us to be mindful of historical narratives, questioning their authenticity and striving for inclusivity in our understanding of the past.

"The world was large then, full of mystery and wonder, and every place held the possibility of an adventure."

This quote by Edward P. Jones underscores a sense of discovery and curiosity about the world. He suggests that during a particular time in history, the universe felt vast, enigmatic, and filled with potential for exploration and exciting experiences. The phrase "every place held the possibility of an adventure" implies the belief that every location could offer something new and exhilarating. Overall, Jones' quote beautifully encapsulates a desire to explore the unknown and appreciate the boundless opportunities the world presents for personal growth and excitement.

It just so happens that I was born and raised in Washington. Had I been born in Chicago or San Antonio, the streets and places would have figured into whatever I wrote. Just so happens that it's Washington, D.C.

- Edward P. Jones

Streets, Been, San, San Antonio

My father was Catholic, and my mother wanted me to go to Catholic school. That's what I did in first grade. But she couldn't afford the payments. I think it must have hurt her a lot, not to be able to give me a Catholic education.

- Edward P. Jones

Education, Father, I Think, Hurt

At first I read mostly books by Southern authors - black and white - because almost all the people I knew were born and raised in the South, starting with my mother. I remember I got a lot of Erskine Caldwell.

- Edward P. Jones

I Remember, Southern, Mostly, Starting

I have said with as much sincerity as I can muster that if I were thrown into a dungeon with a sentence of one hundred years, with my only company being an illiterate guard who came twice a day with meals but who never spoke, I would still write - on coarse toilet paper in the dark if I could spare it.

- Edward P. Jones

Spoke, Hundred, Guard, Hundred Years

Perhaps if I knew I would be stranded on an island with but one book, I would choose the Bible. For no religious reason whatsoever, but because of the varieties of stories, which might be useful as the days pass.

- Edward P. Jones

Religious, Whatsoever, Which, Stranded

In journalism, a fact is just a fact. But in fiction, you have to build your case. It has to be made, step by step.

- Edward P. Jones

Fact, Build, Fiction, Journalism

You don't go to the library and walk along and pick out a topic. You are riding the bus, or shopping at Safeway, and all of a sudden the idea comes to you.

- Edward P. Jones

Bus, Go, Idea, Shopping

There are those who write because they believe they have something so marvelous that it will make them famous and wealthy, a lauded commodity who will be invited to a lifetime of cocktail parties.

- Edward P. Jones

Famous, Wealthy, Commodity, Marvelous

I've never been comfortable with the idea of using family and friends in stories. Which is why it takes me longer than something else. Because you make them up out of nothing. Doing that is harder.

- Edward P. Jones

Doing, Idea, Been, Family And Friends

In the summer of 1964, my sister and I went to South Ballston, Virginia, to stay with my aunt and her kids. They passed the civil rights bill that summer; my cousins were so happy because now they could swim in the pool.

- Edward P. Jones

Summer, Happy, South, Virginia

From my apartment in Arlington, I could see Washington. It was always nice to be near home.

- Edward P. Jones

See, Always, Could, Near

Something happened during the 1980s - perhaps the political climate of that time - that caused me to ask how a people would become part of a system that oppresses their own people.

- Edward P. Jones

Own, Part, Caused, Political Climate

Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.

- Edward P. Jones

Single, Stories, Compulsion, Kernel

I never like to put myself in the stories; in 'Lost in the City,' there are fourteen stories, and there's only one, 'The First Day,' about a little girl going to school, that has anything to do with me.

- Edward P. Jones

City, Like, Stories, Little Girl

I don't want to own something that you can't take into your apartment at night.

- Edward P. Jones

Want, Own, Take, Apartment

I write a lot in my head. I've never been driven to write things down.

- Edward P. Jones

Never, Head, Lot, Driven

'Jane Eyre,' when I think of that book, it conjures up the best moments of college English courses. Literature is extraordinary, especially when you have a good professor.

- Edward P. Jones

College, Think, Courses, Jane

People seem to have trouble with the imagination. They can't believe that you can just pull things out of your brain like that.

- Edward P. Jones

Believe, Like, Your, Trouble

When you grow up with a mother who has to wash dishes and clean hotel rooms, you know the importance of having a job, and you can't be without a job for any length of time, or you will be without anything.

- Edward P. Jones

Grow, Rooms, Having, Wash

My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a white teacher until I got to high school.

- Edward P. Jones

Black, Think, Almost, White World

I don't believe that there is any particular book that influenced any 'career' I might have.

- Edward P. Jones

Book, Career, Might, Influenced

The people I grew up around, almost all of them had been born and raised in the South. And, you know, they didn't always go to church, but they lived their lives as if God were watching everything they did.

- Edward P. Jones

Been, Almost, South, Almost All

My mother relied on her memory to do things because she couldn't read. Part of that was not really knowing numbers.

- Edward P. Jones

Memory, Part, Read, Numbers

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