Jami Attenberg Quotes

Powerful Jami Attenberg for Daily Growth

About Jami Attenberg

Jami Attenberg is an acclaimed American novelist, short story writer, and essayist, whose work often explores themes of identity, technology, love, and the human condition in modern society. Born on March 19, 1970, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Attenberg spent her childhood moving between various cities in the United States due to her father's job as a television producer. This nomadic upbringing greatly influenced her writing, providing her with a unique perspective on diverse cultures and communities. Attenberg studied art history at Tulane University before earning an MFA from Columbia University. Her early career saw her working as a reporter for New York Magazine's Vulture blog and GQ, while also publishing short stories in numerous literary journals. Her debut novel, The Kept Man (2006), was a finalist for the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. Her breakout novel, St. Mazie (2010), told the story of a vaudeville house manager in New York City during the early 20th century, and was praised for its rich historical detail and evocative prose. Her subsequent novels, The Middlesteins (2012) and Saint Frances (2016), were both bestsellers and garnered critical acclaim. In addition to her novels, Attenberg is also known for her insightful essays on technology, feminism, and the impact of social media on our lives, published in outlets such as The New York Times, The Paris Review, and The Atlantic. Her most recent novel, I Came All This Way to Meet You (2019), explores themes of love, connection, and loneliness in the digital age. Attenberg continues to write and publish fiction, nonfiction, and essays, maintaining a unique voice that captures the complexities and contradictions of contemporary life. Her work has been translated into multiple languages and she is considered one of the most exciting voices in American literature today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"We are all inventing ourselves every day."

This quote underscores the idea that each person has the power to continuously shape their own identity, experiences, and character over time. It suggests that personal growth and self-discovery are ongoing processes, where individuals can make choices, learn from experiences, and adapt as they move through life. In essence, it encourages us to embrace the fluidity of our own stories and take responsibility for crafting the narrative of who we become.

"We carry our homes within us, everywhere we go."

This quote suggests that our personal experiences, memories, emotions, and values - all aspects that make up a 'home' in a broader sense - travel with us wherever we go. Regardless of physical location, the essence of where we come from, or what has nurtured and shaped us, remains an integral part of who we are. Thus, we carry our homes within ourselves, influencing our interactions, perspectives, and overall identity in any place we find ourselves.

"I don't believe in waiting for inspiration. I believe in working, waiting."

This quote emphasizes the importance of persistence and discipline in creative work, rather than relying solely on moments of inspiration or motivation. It suggests that consistent effort over time is more effective in achieving one's goals than merely waiting for sudden bursts of creativity. In essence, Attenberg encourages us to keep working diligently, trusting that the desired inspiration will eventually come during this process.

"It is better to feel pain than nothing at all."

This quote by Jami Attenberg emphasizes the importance of experiencing emotion, particularly pain, as a means to maintain authenticity and aliveness in life. By avoiding pain, one might miss out on genuine human experiences, growth opportunities, or the ability to empathize with others who are going through similar struggles. It is better to feel something, even if it's painful, than to remain numb or disconnected from the world around us.

"We spend so much time worrying about how we look that we forget to consider the person inside."

This quote underscores the societal emphasis on physical appearance over inner character. It suggests that people often invest excessive energy in external self-presentation, neglecting personal growth, emotions, and the development of their inner selves. The implication is that it's crucial to strike a balance between nurturing our outer image and cultivating our inner qualities, as these aspects equally contribute to our overall wellbeing and relationships with others.

I make up stories about people who are either imaginary or some variation of myself.

- Jami Attenberg

Myself, Some, Stories, Imaginary

I did get in a few fights in school. Kids threw around anti-Semitic slurs, not knowing necessarily what they meant. It was probably just something they picked up somewhere, as kids do.

- Jami Attenberg

Meant, Fights, Threw, School Kids

The interesting thing about overeating or being obese is there's this physical manifestation of it.

- Jami Attenberg

Interesting, Manifestation, Obese

It should be said upfront that I totally dig people who work in bookstores and libraries. They love books, and I love books, and that is all I really need to know. If they are friendly to me, then we are clearly soul mates.

- Jami Attenberg

Love, Dig, Upfront, Bookstores

I think it's nearly impossible to write something fictional without having it be about yourself in some way or another.

- Jami Attenberg

Think, Some, I Think, Fictional

Some journal writers choose to password-protect their site, which is either an incredibly responsible act or a paranoid one.

- Jami Attenberg

Choose, Some, Which, Journal

People are branded as either 'fat' or 'skinny' from an early age. You sort of never shake it, even if you end up losing weight.

- Jami Attenberg

Shake, Weight, Sort, Branded

I wrote a novel. It's called 'The Middlesteins.' It's fiction. It's not a memoir. I'm not a spokesperson.

- Jami Attenberg

Fiction, Memoir, Wrote, Spokesperson

I know the bestseller 'Gone Girl' doesn't need an ounce of support from me, but that book was as sharp and witty as they come.

- Jami Attenberg

Book, Need, Come, Bestseller

Maybe just as many women writers as male writers could be billed as the next great American writer by their publisher. Maybe book criticism sections could review an equal amount of female and male writers. Maybe Oprah could start putting some books by women authors in her book club, since most of her audience is women.

- Jami Attenberg

Next, Some, Putting, Women Writers

I was fat because I lived in the Midwest in the 1970s, and everyone was a little fat then and only getting fatter.

- Jami Attenberg

Fat, Everyone, Getting, Fatter

I do not mourn the death of the printed letter in a snobby, East Coast, patrician way - 'Where have our manners gone?' - but because I love objects, I love paper, and I love something that I can hold to my chest for a moment. Still, I bear no grudge against the e-mail form itself.

- Jami Attenberg

Love, Death, Against, Snobby

Listen: I'm OK cute. I'm no stunner.

- Jami Attenberg

Cute, Listen, OK

I remember being banned from other houses as a younger child during the winter holiday season; I was the only one who didn't believe in Santa Claus, and I was ruining everyone's Christmas.

- Jami Attenberg

Winter, I Remember, Other, Holiday Season

In the past, I was sometimes put in this women's lit category, and I was never really sure that was the appropriate place for me - although I certainly recognize it can be helpful and correct for other people.

- Jami Attenberg

In The Past, Appropriate, Category

I didn't go to graduate school, where all the important writers seemed to be getting their start. I didn't pursue getting published in literary magazines. I didn't even send out countless pitch letters and manuscripts to agents.

- Jami Attenberg

Out, Getting, Literary, Graduate School

Young adult novels don't shy away from the discussion of weight issues, and 'Blubber,' the tale of an overweight, not-so-sympathetic fifth-grader bullied by her peers, is a refreshing take.

- Jami Attenberg

Shy, Young, Away, Novels

There are a lot of great things about food, but it's something that's an eternal struggle in our contemporary society, where and how food is made, where it's coming from, how much to consume. There are so many layers to it.

- Jami Attenberg

About, Consume, Our, Struggle

I have very distinct memories about growing up as part of what was then a very small Jewish community in Buffalo Grove, IL.

- Jami Attenberg

Small, Part, Very, Grove

Sadly, e-mail has triggered the decline of the handwritten note; I have seen its near-disappearance in my lifetime.

- Jami Attenberg

Decline, Note, Sadly, E-Mail

Why e-mail a full emotional statement when, instead, you can text a totally insignificant and ambiguous half-considered phrase?

- Jami Attenberg

Emotional, Insignificant, E-Mail

No offense to Bushwick, where all my neighbors greeted me on the street and there is a growing arts community and a curious beauty to its industrial zone, but Bushwick is no Williamsburg, even if the real estate agents would have you believe it is.

- Jami Attenberg

Beauty, Believe, Offense, Agents

With apologies to all my past boyfriends, I never loved a man the way I loved my old apartment.

- Jami Attenberg

Past, Loved, Never, Apology

In the wintertime I like macaroni and cheese.

- Jami Attenberg

Cheese, Like, Macaroni, Wintertime

I don't know if I had ever found my place in the world until I fully committed to being a writer.

- Jami Attenberg

Committed, Had, Being, Fully

Social media can connect you with other people in so many wonderful ways - but it can also make you really sick of yourself.

- Jami Attenberg

Wonderful, Other, Social, Social Media

Many online journals get the most hits of the day during the lunch hour.

- Jami Attenberg

Lunch, Most, Hits, Journals

There's something to be said for an author who clearly respects a reader.

- Jami Attenberg

Clearly, Author, Reader, Respects

In addition to public housing, South Williamsburg is home to shabby artists' lofts like mine, apartments of Hasidic Jews, and one extremely tall, high-priced condo.

- Jami Attenberg

Mine, Public Housing, South, Shabby

I feel a bigger sense of fulfillment when writing a novel, and short stories are more about instant gratification.

- Jami Attenberg

Bigger, More, Stories, Instant Gratification

We've all got flesh. I've just got a little more.

- Jami Attenberg

More, Just, Got, Flesh

What I try very hard to do is have an hour or so in the morning when I leave the house and don't have my phone with me. I'll go sit in a cafe and read and handwrite in my notebook and not be facing a screen. My head will be clear. I will be able to hear myself think. Because honestly for the rest of the day it's just screens, screens, screens.

- Jami Attenberg

Screen, Very, Facing, Cafe

When I was growing up in Chicago, my family and I used to go to a local chain, Hackney's, for burgers and their French fried onion loaf. I probably haven't been to one in 25 years, and yet, I once saw Donald Trump from behind in an office building and the first thing that flashed in my mind was his hair looked like that onion loaf.

- Jami Attenberg

Behind, Been, Donald, None

I don't think there's any topic a writer should feel afraid of tackling just because it has already been discussed. If you feel you have a fresh perspective and an understanding of a certain emotional truth, it's always worth writing.

- Jami Attenberg

Feel, Been, Tackling, Fresh

I have watched Occupy Wall Street mostly from the sidelines.

- Jami Attenberg

Watched, Mostly, Occupy, Sidelines

Food and love are all intertwined at our core level. It can be a very nurturing, wonderful, loving thing.

- Jami Attenberg

Love, Level, Very, Intertwined

In your 40s, you shed those who bring you down and surround yourself with the most positive people you know.

- Jami Attenberg

Bring, Your, Shed, Surround

When we are young - or even 32 - we often say 'yes' to everything because we're worried that we won't know what we'll like if we don't try it.

- Jami Attenberg

Young, Yes, Like, Worried

Most of my writer friends are women, and they're all extremely talented, so of course I think the state of contemporary fiction for women is pretty great. Which is to say there is a ton of amazing work out there. These women are writing hard. There's much to be said. We're on it, chief.

- Jami Attenberg

Fiction, Out, I Think, Women Are

Do you often find yourself uttering the phrase, 'I feel like I should go?' You do not need to go. You are busy that night. You are busy every night, forever.

- Jami Attenberg

Night, Need, Like, Every Night

Your family is unavoidable. You cannot escape them or trade them in for another family. You also can't change them... but you can change your response to them.

- Jami Attenberg

Change, Another, Unavoidable, Escape

My parents are still married. They don't weigh 350 pounds; they go to the gym all the time.

- Jami Attenberg

Go, Still, Weigh, Pounds

When does an object become a symbol? All I know is you cannot force it.

- Jami Attenberg

Know, Symbol, Does, Object

I'm from the Midwest. We like to know who our neighbors are.

- Jami Attenberg

Know, Neighbors, Like, Midwest

I check my phone first thing when I wake up in the morning. I usually take it up with me to bed so it's on the floor next to the bed, although not actually in bed with me, because I really do not want to be the person who sleeps with their phone.

- Jami Attenberg

Wake Up, Bed, Next, Floor

I actually didn't grow up in a household that loved Chinese food particularly, and it's not really my go-to food or anything... We were more a pizza family, being from the Chicago area and all.

- Jami Attenberg

Pizza, Anything, Chinese, Household

What a character eats is a detail - like eye color or a favorite song. But food is also our lifeblood.

- Jami Attenberg

Character, Eye, Song, Lifeblood

I won't go anywhere near the new Times Square. It's seizure-inducing.

- Jami Attenberg

New, Square, Times, Near

Maybe I wouldn't hit three fast food restaurants in a day, but I could hit one in a day. I try not to do that.

- Jami Attenberg

Fast, Hit, Maybe, Restaurants

No matter how many feminist tracts you read, you never forget what boys like.

- Jami Attenberg

Forget, Never, How, Never Forget

No matter how much money I made from writing, I'd keep the bookstore job.

- Jami Attenberg

Matter, Made, How Much Money, Bookstore

Does everything in this life begin and end with Judy Blume? Perhaps.

- Jami Attenberg

End, Perhaps, Does, Judy

My love can be easily bought with a steak from Peter Luger's.

- Jami Attenberg

Love, Steak, Bought, Peter

In 'The Odyssey,' every feast is extremely ritualized; high-status individuals even get a better cut of meat.

- Jami Attenberg

Better, Cut, Extremely, Feast

As creative people, we should be really conscious of being of service in our work, being as generous as we can.

- Jami Attenberg

Work, Service, Should, Conscious

My grandmother died when my mother was just 11 years old, and consequently, my mother never learned how to cook particularly well.

- Jami Attenberg

Old, Particularly, Learned, Consequently

I was fat because my parents were a little fat themselves at that point in their lives, and I ate what they ate.

- Jami Attenberg

Themselves, Lives, Were, Ate

For years I drove cross-country, back and forth a dozen times, sometimes on book tour, sometimes just to get lost and found.

- Jami Attenberg

Book, Sometimes, Drove, Tour

In 1998, I started a blog, something I could control very easily and update at my own whim.

- Jami Attenberg

My Own, Very, Whim, Blog

I am not one of those people who string their exes along. Instead, I run and hide: under the covers, behind my computer screen, on opposite coasts of the country.

- Jami Attenberg

Behind, Country, String, Covers

I find that short stories are almost like palate cleansers or brain cleansers.

- Jami Attenberg

Like, Stories, Almost, Short Stories

My Twitter feed is probably my biggest resource of news. Other people scour the web so I do not have to, and I thank them for it.

- Jami Attenberg

News, Other, Resource, Feed

I always tell people this when they're looking for an agent - they should love your work. You are entitled to work with someone who believes in you. Why do business with someone who is ambivalent about you and your art?

- Jami Attenberg

Love, Always, Entitled, Ambivalent

Anything by Lorrie Moore speaks to a certain kind of person.

- Jami Attenberg

Kind, Person, Speaks, Moore

The best thing about the Web is the sound of all the individual voices rising.

- Jami Attenberg

Sound, Rising, Individual, Web

I think when you first start out, you're writing books that are about your immediate place.

- Jami Attenberg

Start, Think, I Think, Immediate

For years I'd thought my color was black: deep, dark, thoughtful, mysterious. Black, you can hide behind. But now I know it is red.

- Jami Attenberg

Deep, Thought, Behind, Mysterious

I know I have a problem with semi-colon abuse and have written page-long sentences. Nobody needs to be reading page-long sentences, at least not written by me.

- Jami Attenberg

Abuse, Needs, Least, Sentences

I'm a really selfish person. But I would do anything for my friends.

- Jami Attenberg

Person, Would, Really, Selfish

Cooking skills aside, my mother is an exceptional nurturer.

- Jami Attenberg

Mother, Skills, Aside, Exceptional

You write a book, and after 50 pages you think it's about one thing, and then you write another hundred and you realize it's about something else, and then by the time you're done, you can look back and say, 'Oh, this is what it's about.'

- Jami Attenberg

Book, By The Time, Hundred, Pages

An ellipsis is a giant ocean of possibilities.

- Jami Attenberg

Ocean, Possibilities, Giant

I don't know much about any of the Hasidim because the men won't talk to me because I'm a woman, and the women won't talk to me because, while I am Jewish, I'm not Hasidic.

- Jami Attenberg

Woman, About, While, Jewish

I can act like a boy as much as I want, but when I wake up in the morning, I'm still a woman.

- Jami Attenberg

Woman, Like, Still, Wake Up

There are generations of people who don't know how to eat properly.

- Jami Attenberg

Know, How, Generations, Properly

It's the differences in people that help you realize who you are. Even if we silently pass each other on the street.

- Jami Attenberg

People, Differences, Other, Pass

It's good to pass on stories.

- Jami Attenberg

Good, Stories, Pass

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.