As a writer, I absorb stories, allow them to churn within my own head and heart - often for years - until I find a way of telling them that fits both my time and temperament. Walter Dean Myers More Quotes by Walter Dean Myers More Quotes From Walter Dean Myers How deep is your game? Walter Dean Myers games Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady who is the prosecutor called me. MONSTER. Walter Dean Myers storiesmonsterssometimes I like people who take responsibility for their lives. Walter Dean Myers taking-responsibilityresponsibilitypeople Sometimes when things get hard, we tend to set our sights on what's hard, that difficult thing that keeps us upset, and we turn our back on our strengths. Walter Dean Myers upsetsightsometimes Yeah, that's funny, huh?...Something hurts you real bad and you get used to it. Like being hurt becomes part of who you are. Walter Dean Myers usedrealhurt No matter what...ball made my heart beat faster, made me want to jump up and down and be Superman. That's what life was about anyway, being Superman and living like life itself was important. Basketball made my life important. Walter Dean Myers importantbasketballheart They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can’t kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the punishment. Walter Dean Myers shoelacespunishmentmatter I know what falling off the cliff means. I know from being considered a very bright kid to being considered like a moron and dropping out of school. Walter Dean Myers meanschoolfall If what I read doesn't reflect my life - whether I'm gay or Latino or on welfare - doesn't that really mean that my life is not valuable? Walter Dean Myers gaylife-ismean I would enjoy having dinner with the poet/playwright Derek Walcott. Walter Dean Myers dinnerenjoypoet If anyone could look into my head See or feel the dread that has captured Me or see within this sad, unhappy brain They would only turn away Turn away. Walter Dean Myers unhappybrainlooks What did I do? I walked into a drugstore to look for some mints, and then I walked out. What was wrong with that? I didn't kill Mr. Nesbitt. Walter Dean Myers mintlooks The best time to cry is at night, when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help. Walter Dean Myers lighthelpingnight The movie is more real in so many ways than the life I am leading. No, that’s not true. I just desperately wish this was only a movie. Walter Dean Myers realwishway The idea of voluntary segregation went against every value I had been taught. What did being born black have to do with excellence? Walter Dean Myers blackexcellenceideas What some people wanted was sometimes too hard to get, and the stress of trying was sometimes too hard to deal with... Maybe doing well in life was just too hard for some people. Walter Dean Myers stresstryingpeople he was trying to convince himself that he wasn't guilty. Walter Dean Myers convinceguiltytrying Writers do not write what they know. They write what they can imagine. Walter Dean Myers imagineknowswriting I was teased if I brought my books home. I would take a paper bag to the library and put the books in the bag and bring them home. Not that I was that concerned about them teasing me - because I would hit them in a heartbeat. But I felt a little ashamed, having books. Walter Dean Myers libraryhomebook We’re suggesting that [kids are] missing something if they don’t read but, actually, we’re condemning kids to a lesser life. If you had a sick patient, you would not try to entice them to take their medicine. You would tell them, ‘Take this or you’re going to die.’ We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional. Walter Dean Myers medicinereadingkids
