Suzan-Lori Parks Quotes

Powerful Suzan-Lori Parks for Daily Growth

About Suzan-Lori Parks

Suzan-Lori Parks, an influential African-American playwright, was born on April 20, 1963, in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, New York City. Raised by her grandmother, Parks developed a profound appreciation for storytelling through the oral histories shared within her family. This experience laid the foundation for her unique narrative style and thematic exploration of identity, history, and cultural heritage. Parks graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 1985 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature. She then attended Yale School of Drama, where she honed her craft as a playwright under the tutelage of Paula Vogel and August Wilson. Her time at Yale was marked by the completion of one of her most celebrated works, "The America Play" (1979), which won the National Student Playwriting Award in 1982. In 1990, Parks' play "Imperceptible Mutabilities in the Third Kingdom" received the American Theatre Critics Association's New York Award for Best Off-Broadway Play. This recognition propelled her career and paved the way for more groundbreaking works, such as "Venus" (1996) and "Topdog/Underdog" (2001), both of which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Parks' work is characterized by a rich blend of traditional storytelling with experimental elements, drawing inspiration from historical events, mythology, and her personal experiences. Her plays often explore themes related to identity, race, and the complexities of American history, particularly in relation to African-Americans. Parks has been praised for her innovative approach to storytelling and her ability to illuminate the human condition through a unique lens. Today, Suzan-Lori Parks continues to contribute to the world of theater as a playwright, screenwriter, and director. Her work serves as a testament to the power of storytelling in shaping our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"In that great cosmic switchyard, we're all just trying to find the right track."

This quote by Suzan-Lori Parks suggests that life is a journey in which we are all traveling through the vast, complex universe (the "great cosmic switchyard"), seeking our path or destination ("finding the right track"). It implies that life can be confusing and overwhelming at times, but ultimately, we're all trying to make sense of our experiences and find where we truly belong. This idea encapsulates a universal human experience: the search for purpose and identity within an often chaotic and uncertain world.

"Time is a funky thing. It don't move evenly for everyone."

Suzan-Lori Parks' statement "Time is a funky thing. It don't move evenly for everyone" highlights the subjective and unequal nature of time experience across individuals, suggesting that the flow of time can vary depending on personal circumstances, societal roles, or life conditions. This quote serves as a reminder that while time may seem linear and constant, it is perceived differently based on individual perspectives and experiences.

"Make something and put it out there on your own terms."

This quote by Suzan-Lori Parks emphasizes personal agency, creativity, and self-expression. In essence, it encourages individuals to create their own work, not just passively consume what is given to them. It's about taking control of one's own narrative, setting the terms, and sharing it with the world on one's own terms. This can apply to any field or aspect of life, reminding us that everyone has a unique voice and perspective to share, and it should be shared authentically and boldly.

"The truth shall set you free... but first it will piss you off."

This quote suggests that seeking or confronting the truth may initially provoke feelings of anger, frustration, or discomfort before ultimately leading to liberation and understanding. The "piss you off" part implies that the truth often challenges our beliefs, comfort zones, or preconceived notions, which can be difficult to accept, but this struggle is an essential step towards personal growth and freedom.

"The opposite of poverty is not wealth, the opposite of poverty is justice."

This quote by Suzan-Lori Parks suggests that true prosperity or abundance (wealth) cannot be achieved without addressing systemic inequalities (justice). In other words, merely accumulating wealth does not equate to eradicating poverty; instead, a fair and just society where everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources is essential for overcoming poverty. The quote emphasizes that efforts to combat poverty should focus on achieving justice, rather than solely creating more wealth.

I don't read reviews. I refuse to have my ego inflated or deflated by someone I don't know.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Someone, Read, Refuse, Reviews

Being a playwright of any race is difficult, and Lord knows it gets more difficult the further you get from the middle of the road. I don't know what kind of magic my mojo is working, but it's working.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Magic, Middle, Race, Mojo

I learned that if we embrace what's happening, we are also embracing what is possible - and a road opens up for God to meet us halfway.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Embrace, Learned, Also, Halfway

My plays aren't stylistically the same. Just being an African-American woman playwright on Broadway is experimental.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Woman, Same, Plays, Stylistically

I love beautiful black-and-white movies - anything Bette Davis, especially 'Now', 'Voyager', 'Casablanca', 'Mildred Pierce'; anything by Orson Welles, Truffaut, or Godard; and 'Paper Moon' by Peter Bogdanovich.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Love, Movies, Anything, None

One could get locked in by the Pulitzer, thinking, 'This is who I am.' Doors open with it, but doors in your mind could close.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Mind, Could, Your, Locked

Someone yelled at me once, 'You never write about yourself.' People used to get so mad at me for that. But my definition of myself is completely up for grabs. I'm everywhere, just like we all are.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Mad, Used, About, Yelled

The writing of 'Topdog' was a great gift. I feel the play came to me because I realized that my circumstances, while causing me despair and heartbreak, also held great possibility, if only I could see it.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Gift, Play, Heartbreak, Possibility

I don't care what anybody says. Stick to the spirit of the play and you're doing it right. It's about embracing the spirit of the text instead of noodling some idea about things.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Play, Doing, Some, Embracing

I love my lecture tours. I get up onstage. I have my stack of books and a glass of water and a microphone. No podium, no distance between me and the audience, and I just talk to people and get all excited and tell a lot of jokes, and sing some songs, and read from my work and remind people how powerful they are and how beautiful they are.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Love, Some, Stack, Jokes

My plays are for the kind of black people who relate to funk music, to Parliament-Funkadelic. When those guys get out of a spaceship - the idea that black people are from outer space, there's a poetic truth to that. We are this vast people.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Space, Out, Idea, Funk

Everything I write doesn't appear to be biography until later. I often say that I've never written about anything I've experienced. Of course, that's not true. But it doesn't appear familiar to me at all. And maybe that's because I have to be in a kind of coma in order to write. If it appeared familiar, I wouldn't.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Maybe, I Write, About, Experienced

My father was in the Army and we moved around a lot, and one of my favorite places was the library.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Places, Army, Lot, Favorite Places

The writer has two kinds of faith: actual writing and sitting openly. Have faith in your personal effort or sweat. And faith in God, or whatever you want to call it. Then the voices will come. Faith is the big deal.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Big, Deal, Actual, Openly

Each moment is perfect and heaven-sent, in that each moment holds the seeds for growth.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Time, Seeds, Perfect, Holds

Difficulty creates the opportunity for self-reflection and compassion.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Opportunity, Creates, Difficulty

Every play I write is about love and distance. And time. And from that we can get things like history.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Love, Play, I Write, Distance

I don't consciously start writing a play that involves issues. After it's done, I sit back like everyone else and think about what it means.

- Suzan-Lori Parks

Play, Think, Means, Everyone Else

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