Francine Prose Quotes

Powerful Francine Prose for Daily Growth

About Francine Prose

Francine Prose (born February 12, 1947) is an accomplished American novelist, essayist, and literary critic. Born in New York City to a family with roots in Russia and Poland, she was raised primarily by her grandmother after her mother's early death. This unconventional upbringing, characterized by frequent moves and multiple caregivers, influenced her later exploration of the complexities of identity in her works. Prose attended Barnard College, graduating summa cum laude in 1968, and went on to earn a Master's degree from Yale University. Her early career saw her working as an editor at Harper & Row and then Viking Press, where she edited the likes of Toni Morrison, Robert M. Pirsig, and Thomas Pynchon. Her debut novel, "Judah the Pious" (1976), was followed by a series of novels that often blurred the line between fiction and reality. Among her most notable works are "Household Saints" (1982), which explores the life of three nuns in Brooklyn, and "Blue Angel" (1990), a novel about a college professor's infatuation with a student. Prose is also known for her literary criticism. Her 2006 book, "What Is It About This Writing?," examines the craft of writing through close readings of various authors and genres. In 2018, she published "Louisiana's Way Back," a novel that delves into themes of family, identity, and the power of storytelling, reflecting her enduring fascination with the complexities of human relationships. In addition to her creative works, Prose has been a prominent figure in literary circles, serving as president of PEN American Center from 2014 to 2016. Her writing continues to explore the intricacies of human experience, making her a significant voice in contemporary American literature.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Art is a way of making sense of the world."

Francine Prose's quote emphasizes that art serves as a tool for understanding, interpreting, and finding meaning in the complexities of our world. Through artistic expressions such as literature, music, painting, or any form of creative work, individuals can process their experiences, emotions, and thoughts about reality in a meaningful way. By creating art, we are also helping others understand and make sense of the world around them.


"Life is full of impossibilities, and it is up to you to make at least a few of them come true."

This quote by Francine Prose underscores the importance of perseverance, resilience, and the pursuit of dreams in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. It suggests that life presents us with numerous challenges, but it is within our power to defy those difficulties and make our wildest aspirations a reality. In essence, the quote encourages each individual to transform their potential into actuality by embracing their capacity for change and growth.


"The desire to write comes from the desire to share your soul with others."

This quote by Francine Prose highlights the profound connection between writing and the expression of one's inner self. Writing is a means for authors to reveal their deepest thoughts, emotions, and experiences, thereby sharing their unique soul with others. It suggests that the impulse to write stems from an intrinsic human desire for connection, understanding, and empathy - not just between author and reader, but also within oneself. In essence, writing allows us to transcend personal boundaries and engage in a meaningful dialogue with the world.


"Books are not only knowledge but also wisdom, in whatever form they appear, they are the distillation of a whole culture."

This quote by Francine Prose emphasizes that books serve more than just imparting factual knowledge; they encapsulate the essence of a culture, its wisdom, and philosophy. They are not merely transcripts but distilled expressions of human thought and experience from various perspectives. Reading a book is thus immersing oneself in another's mind, understanding their values, and experiencing their wisdom - all vital aspects of cultural exchange and growth.


"Reading is a kind of un-solitude, a way to be connected with people who are living and those who have lived, all around the world and through time."

This quote by Francine Prose underscores the power of reading as a means of fostering connection across space and time. Through the act of reading, we can forge relationships with authors from diverse backgrounds and eras, creating an intimate link that transcends physical boundaries. Essentially, reading becomes a universal language that bridges solitude, allowing us to engage in profound conversations with a multitude of voices and experiences.


If things are going well I can easily spend twelve hours a day writing, but not writing writing, just thinking and revising and taking a comma out and putting it back in.

- Francine Prose

Hours, Going, Putting, Revising

For any writer, the ability to look at a sentence and see what's superfluous, what can be altered, revised, expanded, and, especially, cut, is essential. It's satisfying to see that sentence shrink, snap into place, and ultimately emerge in a more polished form: clear, economical, sharp.

- Francine Prose

See, Polished, Cut, Essential

'One Hundred Years of Solitude' convinced me to drop out of Harvard graduate school. The novel reminded me of everything my Ph.D. program was trying to make me forget. Thank you, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

- Francine Prose

Drop, Hundred, Program, Solitude

Long before the idea of a writer's conference was a glimmer in anyone's eye, writers learned by reading the work of their predecessors. They studied meter with Ovid, plot construction with Homer, comedy with Aristophanes; they honed their prose style by absorbing the lucid sentences of Montaigne and Samuel Johnson.

- Francine Prose

Conference, Predecessors, Meter

I can no more reread my own books than I can watch old home movies or look at snapshots of myself as a child. I wind up sitting on the floor, paralyzed by grief and nostalgia.

- Francine Prose

Movies, Own, I Can, Wind

I wrote about four novels before I wrote a word of journalism.

- Francine Prose

Four, Before, Wrote, Journalism

I remember, when I was a little kid, I was good at sports, and I could jump off the high board. And then puberty hit, and suddenly I was looking to boys for direction. I remember that as a great loss.

- Francine Prose

I Remember, Remember When, Board

A work of art can start you thinking about some aesthetic or philosophical problem; it can suggest some new method, some fresh approach to fiction.

- Francine Prose

New, Aesthetic, Some, Fresh

I went through college in the 1960s without having any idea that I was going to have to make a living. When I graduated in 1968 it was quite a shock to find out that there was a world out there and that it wasn't going to support me.

- Francine Prose

College, Through, Having, Graduated

I'm in a rage all of the time.

- Francine Prose

Time, Rage

Fact-checking is so boring compared to writing fiction.

- Francine Prose

Writing, Boring, Fiction, Compared

I know a lot of Eastern Europeans, and because of what they have been through and what they have seen, they have an attitude where they are not easily fooled.

- Francine Prose

Through, Been, Eastern, Fooled

I think poets are much more dramatic, more theatrical than fiction writers.

- Francine Prose

Think, I Think, Theatrical, Poets

A lot of girls who turn into something remarkable start off as irrepressible, confident and a handful.

- Francine Prose

Confident, Remarkable, Lot, Handful

I work really long days and I work seven day weeks.

- Francine Prose

Work, Seven, Days, Weeks

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