Tananarive Due Quotes

Powerful Tananarive Due for Daily Growth

About Tananarive Due

Tananarive Due is an acclaimed American writer of speculative fiction, born on September 14, 1963, in Sacramento, California, to a Trinidadian-born father, John P. Due Sr., and an African-American mother, Alfreda Brown. Raised in two distinct cultures, her experiences significantly influenced her writing, which often explores themes of race, identity, and the supernatural. Due attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she met her husband, Steven Barnes, with whom she co-authored several works. She later graduated from UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television, where she was mentored by Octavia Butler. In 1995, Due published her first novel, "The Between," followed by the critically acclaimed "My Soul to Keep" in 1998. This novel, the first in her Ashford-Toussaint series, won the American Book Award and was nominated for a British Fantasy Award. Other notable works include "The Good House" (2003), which explores racial tensions and family secrets in a small North Carolina town, and "Ghost Summer: Stories" (2010), a collection of short stories that delve into the lives of African Americans in contemporary America and during the Jim Crow era. Due's work often blends horror, science fiction, and African mythology to create unique narratives that challenge traditional genre conventions. She is a professor at UCLA and serves as the founding director of the Tambo & Bona Africana Fantastic Fiction Series, dedicated to promoting speculative fiction by writers of African descent. Due's contributions to literature have earned her numerous accolades, including the NAACP Image Award, the American Book Award, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Fear is a call to action."

This quote suggests that fear can serve as a powerful motivator, urging us into action. It implies that instead of paralyzing us with dread or anxiety, fear can provoke us to confront challenges, take risks, or make changes in our lives. In essence, it's not just about surviving our fears but using them as a catalyst for growth and transformation.


"We're all just walking each other home."

This quote by Tananarive Due emphasizes the interconnectedness and shared humanity that we experience throughout our lives. It suggests that we are all on a journey, and in some way, everyone we encounter is helping us progress towards our personal destinations, or "walking us home." It implies a sense of mutual aid, support, and understanding in our interactions with others, as we each contribute to one another's growth and development. The quote underscores the importance of empathy, kindness, and compassion in fostering strong relationships and communities.


"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." (adapted from Martin Luther King Jr.)

This quote, adapted from Martin Luther King Jr., emphasizes the power of light over darkness, and love over hate. It suggests that negativity, whether it's fear, hatred or prejudice, cannot be counteracted by more of the same, but rather, it requires a positive force – in this case, light (representing understanding, knowledge, truth) and love (representing compassion, empathy, unity). This idea underscores the importance of promoting peace, tolerance, and understanding as means to combat hate and fear.


"Trust is the foundation of every good relationship, but it's especially vital in family."

This quote emphasizes the significant role trust plays in forming and maintaining strong relationships, particularly within families. Trust serves as a solid foundation upon which all other aspects of a positive relationship are built. Without trust, communication can break down, misunderstandings may arise, and conflict can ensue. In the context of family, where deep emotional bonds exist, trust becomes even more crucial because it fosters harmony, mutual respect, and unwavering support among family members.


"I was born to write, and I will never stop."

This quote by Tananarive Due reflects an unwavering commitment and passion towards writing, suggesting that it's not just a profession or hobby for her but an integral part of her identity and purpose in life. She sees herself as destined to write, with the determination to continue creating throughout her existence. It illustrates a profound love for storytelling, and a belief that this is her true calling.


I've been a novelist since 1995 and have had novels in and out of option, and watching that process just made me realize that I have to live by what I teach my students, because I teach screenwriting at Spellman.

- Tananarive Due

Process, Been, Made, Novelist

I tell my students based on my experiences in Hollywood, sure, you can always move to L.A. and try to work with the system, and people do that, but chances are if you want your story in film with characters of color, you will have to make that movie yourself. Find a way to make it yourself. Not just screenwriters, but also producers.

- Tananarive Due

Color, Hollywood, Movie, Chances

Inspired by Alex Haley's 'Roots,' at the age of 11 I began a handwritten Middle Passage story called 'Lawdy, Lawdy, Make Us Free.' I was raised by civil rights activists with a very strong sense of racial history and consciousness.

- Tananarive Due

Strong, Very, Passage, Alex

It wasn't just OK to achieve in my family - it was expected.

- Tananarive Due

Family, Achieve, Expected, OK

I would say that in my black readership, more of my readers tolerate the horror aspect of my work, you know. 'I don't usually read this kind of stuff, but.'

- Tananarive Due

More, Horror, Read, Tolerate

As a very young writer - kindergarten through about fifth grade - I most often wrote about black characters. My very early stories were science fiction and fantasy, with kids stowing away on spaceships and a girl named Tilly who was trying to get into the 'Guinness Book of World Records.'

- Tananarive Due

Through, Very, World Records, Science Fiction

The great thing about journalism is that there is so much exposure to all kinds of people who can turn up later as characters, whether you intend it or not.

- Tananarive Due

Turn, About, Kinds, Journalism

My biggest luck was the Terry McMillan era, because what happened after the phenomenon of 'Waiting to Exhale' is that publishing woke up. They said, 'Wow. Black people do read.'

- Tananarive Due

Waiting, Luck, Read, Wow

I started out with almost entirely black fans except for a little handful of people in the horror writers' community, and those people really liked horror, you know. They will go to any lengths and read whomever they can find because they like that feeling of being scared.

- Tananarive Due

Whomever, Almost, Liked, Scared

One thing I know that's true about horror fans of any color is they like to be scared. And the easiest place to be scared is in a new thing.

- Tananarive Due

Color, New, Horror, Scared

I grew up believing that my parents helped change the world. I was so in awe of them, and I wondered how I could measure up. I mean, how do you change the world - again?

- Tananarive Due

Change, Again, Could, Change The World

I characterize myself a little bit as a reluctant filmmaker. I learned from watching my friend in college stay up late at night, at 2 A.M., just to get the lighting right, and I thought, 'You know what, if that's what it's going to be like, I think I'm just going to write,' and I did that.

- Tananarive Due

College, Thought, I Think, Filmmaker

I believe black characters in fiction are still revolutionary, given our long history of erasure.

- Tananarive Due

Fiction, Still, Given, Revolutionary

Somehow, I realized I could write books about black characters who reflected my own experiences or otherworldly experiences - not just stories of history, poverty and oppression.

- Tananarive Due

My Own, Could, Stories, Poverty

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