Kathryn Harrison Quotes

Powerful Kathryn Harrison for Daily Growth

About Kathryn Harrison

Kathryn Harrison is an acclaimed American novelist, known for her raw, introspective, and often controversial narrative style. Born on March 15, 1957, in New York City, she was the daughter of a well-known anthropologist, Albert Harrison, and a painter, Margot Fonteyn Ripley. Harrison's upbringing was marked by travel and exposure to diverse cultures due to her father's work. These experiences have significantly influenced her writing, providing rich backgrounds and authentic settings for many of her novels. After earning a Bachelor's degree from Brown University in 1978, Harrison began her literary career with the publication of her first novel, "The Binding Chair," in 1986. This debut marked the beginning of a prolific writing journey that has seen Harrison publish over ten novels, including "Thicker than Water" (1989), "Exposure" (1993), and "Enchantment" (1997). Harrison's works often explore complex themes such as love, identity, and the consequences of family secrets. Her novel "The Seal Wife," published in 2005, delves into the ancient Inuit myth of a woman who transforms into a seal and returns to her human lover every seven years. This story mirrors Harrison's own experiences with the sea and its inhabitants, inspired by her childhood spent near the ocean. Harrison's most controversial work is arguably "The Kiss" (1988), which was based on her real-life affair with a man nearly twice her age, Richard Gere. This autobiographical novel sparked a heated debate about the ethics of creative nonfiction and the boundaries between fiction and reality in literature. Today, Kathryn Harrison continues to write and explore themes that push the boundaries of conventional storytelling. Her unique perspective and fearless approach have made her one of America's most compelling novelists.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The past is not dead; it's not even past."

This quote emphasizes that our history, the past, continues to influence our present and future. Despite events appearing to be over, their effects linger and shape contemporary society, culture, and individual experiences. The implication is that we must remain mindful of our past to better navigate and understand the complexities of the present and anticipate the consequences for the future.

"Love is a hunger that can never be completely filled but must be fed daily."

This quote suggests that love, like physical hunger, is an ever-present need in our lives. It's not something that can be fully satisfied or achieved once and for all, but rather requires regular nurturing and attention to keep it alive and thriving. The daily "feeding" of love may take various forms such as expressions of affection, quality time spent together, and acts of kindness, among others. This quote also emphasizes that love is not a static entity, but a dynamic force that needs constant care and investment to maintain its vibrancy and depth.

"Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself."

This quote by Kathryn Harrison emphasizes that when we choose to forgive someone, we are not just releasing them from a debt but also liberating ourselves from the burden of resentment or anger that comes with holding onto past hurts. Forgiveness, in this context, is seen as a personal act of healing and self-care, which allows us to move forward and find peace within ourselves. It's about finding the strength and courage to let go of grudges, fostering emotional freedom, and promoting personal growth.

"Memory is the house where all our ghosts reside."

This quote suggests that our memories are like a home for our personal histories, experiences, and the people we've encountered. It implies that these past events, thoughts, and feelings continue to exist within us (as "ghosts") long after they have taken place. In essence, it highlights the lasting impact of our memories on our present selves and the ways in which our past continues to shape who we are.

"Desire, like gravity, is a force whose effects are as predictable as they are inexorable."

This quote by Kathryn Harrison suggests that just as gravity has consistent and unavoidable effects on physical objects, desire also exerts a powerful and inevitable impact on human emotions and actions. It implies that human desires, much like the pull of gravity, are natural forces that drive us towards certain outcomes, whether we consciously acknowledge them or not. This insight can help us understand why people behave in certain ways and might inspire us to reflect on our own desires and how they shape our lives.

The power of 'Madame Bovary' stems from Flaubert's determination to render each object of his scrutiny exactly as it looks, or sounds or smells or feels or tastes.

- Kathryn Harrison

Feels, Stems, Smells, Tastes

Like all holy figures whose earthly existence separates them from the broad mass of humanity, a saint is a story, and Joan of Arc's is like no other.

- Kathryn Harrison

Other, Saint, Joan, Earthly

I was raised by maternal grandparents who were born in 1890 and 1899, respectively. They were British subjects; George V was the cousin of the tsar. The Romanovs were very real in their household.

- Kathryn Harrison

Grandparents, Born, Very, Respectively

Rasputin's daughter understands the revolution. She would have been an outsider, a spectator in the royal family and to the revolution.

- Kathryn Harrison

She, Been, Would, Royal Family

I remember seeing my father only twice as a child for brief visits. As I grew up, I invented a father who was larger than life - stronger, smarter, more handsome, and even holier than other men.

- Kathryn Harrison

Handsome, I Remember, Larger, Smarter

Whether writing fiction or nonfiction, I've never had the sense I was 'making up' a character. It feels more like watching people reveal themselves, ever more deeply, more intimately.

- Kathryn Harrison

Making, Reveal, Feels, Nonfiction

In terms of going back and forth between fiction and nonfiction - in which I'll include memoir, biography, and true crime - is that one relieves the other.

- Kathryn Harrison

Memoir, Include, Which, Nonfiction

Because the kind of nonfiction I write has a plot, the events and transactions that make up a life, nonfiction offers me a break from plotting.

- Kathryn Harrison

Break, I Write, Offers, Nonfiction

When I was eleven, my mother gave me Robert K. Massie's 'Nicholas and Alexandra.' It was the first 'grownup' book I read, and I loved it.

- Kathryn Harrison

Book, Read, Robert, Grownup

I'll never have so compelling a figure within my embrace as Joan of Arc; there will never be a book whose last chapter is so very hard to get right.

- Kathryn Harrison

Chapter, Very, Figure, Arc

One of the things I find exciting about Joan of Arc is how clearly the story of her life reveals the creation of myth, a process in which every one of us is involved - every one of us who tells stories and all those who listen, each informing the other.

- Kathryn Harrison

Other, About, Joan, Arc

Joan of Arc was born 600 years ago. Six centuries is a long time to continue to mark the birth of a girl who, according to her family and friends, knew little more than spinning and watching over her father's flocks.

- Kathryn Harrison

Father, Joan, According, Arc

By the time Joan of Arc was 16 and had proclaimed herself the virgin warrior sent by God to deliver France from her enemies, the English, she had been receiving the counsel of angels for three years.

- Kathryn Harrison

Been, By The Time, Joan, Arc

The least likely of military leaders, Joan of Arc changed the course of the Hundred Years' War and of history.

- Kathryn Harrison

Likely, Hundred, Joan, Arc

I'm not an investigative journalist; I don't track crime or police blotters.

- Kathryn Harrison

Police, Crime, Journalist, Investigative

We know the seductive alchemy of art. To transform private anguish into a narrative of truth, if not beauty; to make sense where there was none; to bring order out of chaos - these are the promises art makes.

- Kathryn Harrison

Art, Chaos, Private, Promises

It's hard for me not to have a great deal of compassion for the last Romanov family because, really, I don't know if a politically savvy ruler would have been able to make the situation turn out much differently.

- Kathryn Harrison

Compassion, Deal, Been, Savvy

Looking at the Obamas, they have a lot to manage with their children and having Michelle go out and have everybody comment on what she was wearing, what it means. I think you have to create a pretty large private world to live in.

- Kathryn Harrison

Private, Everybody, I Think, Manage

I used to enjoy reading true crime, but I've discovered that I don't have the journalism nose for blood.

- Kathryn Harrison

Enjoy, Nose, Discovered, Journalism

I was the good girl who never needed disciplining, who made straight A's. I applied and was accepted to Stanford University.

- Kathryn Harrison

Needed, Made, Applied, Stanford

I work in a small study on the top floor of a brownstone in Brooklyn - it's about 75 square feet, 11 taken up by book shelves along one wall.

- Kathryn Harrison

Feet, Small, Study, Shelves

The Russian revolution is one of history's car wrecks. We do know the ending, but we continue to watch. It expresses aspects of human nature we find unacceptable.

- Kathryn Harrison

Russian, Unacceptable, Wrecks

I think in terms of the parents that I had, I sort of drew a bad hand, or bad karma; who knows? And I did have a family that was complicated, with some quite eccentric members. So there was a lot of grist there.

- Kathryn Harrison

Karma, Think, Some, Eccentric

I am perfectly capable of writing things about myself that one doesn't discuss in polite company, but I was raised by people who said you don't discuss politics, you don't discuss religion, and you certainly don't discuss people's sex lives.

- Kathryn Harrison

Politics, Polite, Perfectly, Discuss

How many artists subscribe to the notion that creative success depends on input from the fickle muse or her modern avatar, mental illness? Probably very few.

- Kathryn Harrison

Fickle, Subscribe, Very, Illness

Shorter work - personal essays and book reviews - allow me to take a break from working on a book, which is good for the book and for its author.

- Kathryn Harrison

Break, Allow, Which, Essays

I've always been interested in the intersection between our rational and our unconscious lives.

- Kathryn Harrison

Always, Unconscious, Been, Intersection

I'm always sorry to finish a book, to let go of characters I love, people I've struggled to understand for years, people who evolve before me.

- Kathryn Harrison

Love, Always, Before, Let Go

It is my conviction that secrets are more costly in the long run than honesty.

- Kathryn Harrison

Honesty, More, Than, Costly

I don't care what people think about me. I care what people think about my work. As a young woman, I was so eager to please that I served others' happiness and even their values before my own.

- Kathryn Harrison

Woman, Young, Eager, Young Woman

How much of a book review is about the reviewer? Sometimes it's mostly about the reviewer!

- Kathryn Harrison

How, How Much, Mostly, Review

'Madame Bovary' advanced slowly, as slowly as it would have to have, given an author who held himself accountable to each word, that it be the right word, of which there could be only one.

- Kathryn Harrison

Accountable, Which, Given, Madame

Lives that are so conspicuous have a claustrophobic feeling. Once you're in charge of running a country, you're under scrutiny all the time. That's a trap.

- Kathryn Harrison

Country, Charge, Lives, Conspicuous

Having grown up so familiar with creating a pleasing facade, I now end up compelled to reveal things inside and say, 'Okay, now you really see me. Do you still love me?' And then it's never enough; it always has to be total self-revelation.

- Kathryn Harrison

Love, Reveal, Facade, Pleasing

I like vampires, tuberculosis, anything to do with blood. Then I read a biography of Rasputin and found out he'd had this daughter who had become a famous lion tamer and been billed as the daughter of the mad monk who was able to hypnotize animals with her eyes. It gave me a vision.

- Kathryn Harrison

Been, Vampires, Had, Lion

I have at last admitted that not only was I angry with my mother, but, in fact, I wanted to destroy her as a child. And I was so concerned to be a woman who was different from my mother that I had this vast architecture of rules.

- Kathryn Harrison

Woman, Fact, Admitted, Vast

I admire writers who succeed at what I consider the first demand of art: that the artist vivisect himself without pity, without hesitation, determined to reveal whatever he might find.

- Kathryn Harrison

Art, Artist, Reveal, Determined

A lot of writers dwell on their relationships with their mothers, but only a few are worth reading.

- Kathryn Harrison

Relationships, Mothers, Lot, Worth Reading

I can't work out much about myself or what I see in the world around me unless I do it through writing.

- Kathryn Harrison

Work, Myself, Through, Work Out

For years, the place I really lived - the world I watched, the one I thought and wrote about - was 15th-century France.

- Kathryn Harrison

Thought, About, Wrote, Watched

I wrote 'The Kiss' 12 hours a day for six months.

- Kathryn Harrison

Hours, Six, Months, Kiss

I reread 'Nicholas and Alexandra' in my early twenties, and I never forgot the story.

- Kathryn Harrison

Never, Early, Twenties, Forgot

I admire cool renderings of hot topics.

- Kathryn Harrison

Cool, Hot, Admire, Topics

I got history solidly under my belt, reading Russian history and biographies. I couldn't change the facts. I could only play with how the people might have responded to the facts of their lives.

- Kathryn Harrison

Play, Russian, Lives, Facts

Writing is how I stay sane. It's completely necessary.

- Kathryn Harrison

Writing, How, Necessary, Sane

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