"I prefer to be true rather than be strong."
This quote by John Edgar Wideman emphasizes the importance of authenticity over power or dominance. The speaker suggests that they value being honest, genuine, and true to themselves above all else, even if it means appearing weak in the eyes of others. It implies a prioritization of moral integrity over external appearances or societal expectations of strength. This stance is a powerful statement about character, promoting vulnerability, truthfulness, and empathy as values worth pursuing.
"Every writer I know is haunted. Writing is a kind of therapy, so we keep going back to the scene of the crime."
This quote suggests that writing serves as both a source of torment (being haunted) and healing (therapy) for writers. They are repeatedly drawn to revisit the "scene of the crime," which symbolizes personal experiences, memories, or emotions that they transform into their literary work. The act of writing can provide catharsis, allowing them to process, understand, and cope with difficult or challenging events in their lives.
"Art is a way out of hell; that is all we can say about it, and one might even hazard the little more that every work of art is a tiny universe in which, for a few moments, chaos is put into order."
This quote by John Edgar Wideman suggests that art serves as an escape from suffering or hardship, often metaphorically referring to life's difficulties as "hell". In essence, art provides solace, helping individuals find meaning, understanding, or beauty amidst the chaos of existence. Furthermore, every work of art is a unique reflection of its creator's perspective and imagination, offering a miniature world where order can be achieved, even momentarily, in the midst of disorder.
"Fiction doesn't have to be a lie, but it has to ring true."
This quote suggests that while fiction is not factual or based on actual events, it should resonate with truth in some way. The "truth" may come from emotional authenticity, thematic accuracy, or the universal human experiences it portrays. Fiction can be a powerful tool to explore reality and reflect our world, as long as it feels genuine to readers.
"The act of writing is an act of faith, and the writer who doubts is done for. He might as well take up plumbing or open a dry-cleaning establishment."
This quote by John Edgar Wideman emphasizes that the act of writing requires unwavering belief and confidence in one's abilities, much like faith. If a writer is filled with self-doubt, they are likely to struggle or fail in their endeavors. Instead, the writer should commit fully to their craft, channeling their energy into creating literature rather than distracting themselves with alternative pursuits such as plumbing or operating a dry-cleaning business. This quote underscores the unique nature of writing and its demands for self-belief and dedication from those who seek to master it.
The primary thing writing and basketball share is the sense that each time you go out, each time you play or begin a piece, it's a new day. You can score 40 points one game, but the next game, those points don't count. You can win the Nobel Literature Prize, but that doesn't make the next sentence of the next book appear.
- John Edgar Wideman
Writers transform: they throw a hand grenade into the notion of reality that people carry around in their heads. That's very dangerous, very destructive, but not to do it means you are satisfied with the status quo - and that's a kind of danger as well, because a kind of violence is already being perpetuated.
- John Edgar Wideman
My aunt Geraldine was the unofficial historian and storyteller. She had all the information about family members and the gossip that came out of the church because we were very much part of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. At family gatherings, the older folk had the floor, had pride of place, and it was their stories I remember.
- John Edgar Wideman
A lot of people think the best work I've done was nonfiction - the 'Brothers and Keepers' book. But I think of myself as a fiction writer. And I think, if my work is put in perspective, all the books would be a continual questioning of what's true and what's not true, what's documented and what's not documented.
- John Edgar Wideman
I don't understand why black people have been so quiescent, so passive over the hundreds of years of American history. Why hasn't there been more violence, more armed struggle? I know answers to some of that, but it seems to me it's an issue of faith, an abiding faith in some sort of great beyond, or great spirit, or even in the American dream.
- John Edgar Wideman
I write what I want to write, and then, when it's finished, I use my judgment to see whether or not I think it's intrusive. If it is problematic, then I ask those involved. I won't necessarily do what they say. But I do consult. I haven't had too many problems. Nobody's really gotten angry at me. Nobody, as far as I know, has felt betrayed.
- John Edgar Wideman
Writing 'Hoop Roots' was a substitute or a surrogate activity. I can't play anymore - my body won't cooperate - so in the writing of the book, I was looking to tell a good story about my life and about basketball, but I was also looking to entertain myself the way that I entertain myself when I play.
- John Edgar Wideman
For a young person, anybody who's sorting out and trying to make a life for himself or herself, to have the opportunity each day to set down - sit down and then set down thoughts, words - it's a crucial, crucial way of staying alive, of not allowing yourself and not allowing the culture outside yourself to totally dominate your life.
- John Edgar Wideman
My particular lifetime, my individual profile, represents something very basic to African-American history and culture because I was a second generation immigrant, so to speak, from the South. My grandfather was born in South Carolina - well, both grandfathers were born in the South.
- John Edgar Wideman
I feel compelled not to pass on a vision of bleakness, destruction or cynicism. I want to tell the truth as I see it, but I also have to believe that individuals - my kids, your kids, whoever - can do something about it, and I want to show the ways in which they can do something about it.
- John Edgar Wideman
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.