If I were a doctor nobody would be inviting me to talk to reservations. I'd be a different person. Writers can influence more people. Sherman Alexie More Quotes by Sherman Alexie More Quotes From Sherman Alexie I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons-in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed. Sherman Alexie teenager writing book Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community. Sherman Alexie community struggle life-is "I used to think the world was broken down by tribes," I said. "By black and white. By Indian and white. But I know that isn't true. The world is only broken into two tribes: The people who are assholes and the people who are not." Sherman Alexie black-and-white two thinking If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing. Sherman Alexie littles inspiring people These are things you should learn. Your past is a skeleton walking one step behind you; your future is a skeleton walking one step in front of you. Maybe you don’t wear a watch, but your skeletons do, and they always know what time it is. Now, these skeletons are made of memories, dreams, and voices. And they can trap you in the in-between, between touching and becoming. But they’re not necessarily evil, unless you let them be. Sherman Alexie dream memories past Since Jesus was human then he most assuredly farted and burped. And if God did create us in God's image then God must fart and burp as well. Sherman Alexie fart jesus He loved her, of course, but better than that, he chose her, day after day. Choice: that was the thing. Sherman Alexie courses choices love If one reads enough books one has a fighting chance. Or better, one's chances of survival increase with each book one reads. Sherman Alexie reading writing book Last September 16th, I was walking in downtown Seattle when this pick-up truck pulls up in front of me. Guy leans out the window and yells, "Go back to your own country," and I was laughing so hard because it wasn't so much a hate crime as a crime of irony. Sherman Alexie xenophobia hate country When you resort to violence to prove a point, you’ve just experienced a profound failure of imagination. Sherman Alexie violence imagination profound What kind of life can you have in a house without books? Sherman Alexie kind house book My only purpose is to teach children to rebel against authority figures. Sherman Alexie rebel purpose children At least half the country thinks the mascot issue is insignificant. But I think it's indicative of the ways in which Indians have no cultural power. We're still placed in the past. So we're either in the past or we're only viewed through casinos. Sherman Alexie country past thinking Can you hear the dreams crackling like a campfire? Can you hear the dreams sweeping through the pine trees and tipis? Can you hear the dreams laughing in the sawdust? Can you hear the dreams shaking just a little bit as the day grows long? Can you hear the dreams putting on a good jacket that smells of fry bread and sweet smoke? Can you hear the dreams stay up late and talk so many stories? Sherman Alexie smell dream sweet If you teach kids how to tell stories, they have a better chance at everything. Sherman Alexie chance stories kids If I wasn't writing poems I'd be washing my hands all the time. Sherman Alexie washing writing hands Don't live up to your stereotypes. Sherman Alexie stereotype I grabbed my book and opened it up. I wanted to smell it. Heck, I wanted to kiss it. Yes, kiss it. That's right, I am a book kisser. Maybe that's kind of perverted or maybe it's just romantic and highly intelligent. Sherman Alexie kissing intelligent book When anybody, no matter how old they are, loses a parent, I think it hurts the same as if you were only five years old, you know? I think all of us are always five years old in the presence and absence of our parents. Sherman Alexie hurt years thinking I don’t want long hair, I don’t want short hair, I don’t want hair at all, and I don’t want to be a girl or a boy. I want to be a yellow and orange leaf some little kid picks up and pastes in his scrapbook. Sherman Alexie girl boys kids
