As a writer I have persisted in my uncertainty, alternating between novels which could charitably be considered literature and world reporting which by another stretch of objective standards might be called history. James A. Michener More Quotes by James A. Michener More Quotes From James A. Michener For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, what you northerners never appreciate...is that Texas is so big that you can live your life within its limits and never give a damn about what anyone in Boston or San Francisco thinks. James A. Michener bostontexasthinking Religious hatreds ought not to be propagated at all, but certainly not on a tax-exempt basis. James A. Michener atheismhatredreligious I was a Navy officer writing about Navy problems and I simply stole this lovely Army nurse and popped her into a Navy uniform, where she has done very well for herself. James A. Michener armynursewriting There are no insoluble problems. Only time-consuming ones. James A. Michener time-consumingconsumingproblem I was brought up in the great tradition of the late nineteenth century: that a writer never complains, never explains and never disdains. James A. Michener traditioncomplainingwriting I am a humanist because I think humanity can, with constant moral guidance, create reasonably decent societies. I think that young people who want to understand the world can profit from the works of Plato and Socrates, the behaviour of the three Thomases, Aquinas, More and Jefferson - the austere analyses of Immanuel Kant and the political leadership of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. James A. Michener platopeoplethinking Public libraries have been a mainstay of my life. They represent an individual's right to acquire knowledge; they are the sinews that bind civilized societies the world over. Without libraries, I would be a pauper, intellectually and spiritually. James A. Michener librarywould-beworld Every animal that walks the earth, or swims, or flies is precious beyond description, something so rare and wonderful that it equals the stars or the ocean or the mind of man. James A. Michener oceanstarsanimal Creative geniuses are a slap-happy lot. Treat Them with respect. James A. Michener creativitycreativescience Writers turn dreams into print. James A. Michener printturnsdream I had been educated with free scholarships. I went to nine different universities, always at public expense, and when you have that experience, you are almost obligated to give it back. It's as simple as that. James A. Michener differentsimplegiving We should be most careful about retreating from the specific challenge of our age. We should be reluctant to turn our back upon the frontier of this epoch... We cannot be indifferent to space, because the grand slow march of our intelligence has brought us, in our generation, to a point from which we can explore and understand and utilize it. To turn back now would be to deny our history, our capabilities. James A. Michener our-generationspacechallenges a soldier lives always for the next battle, because he knows that before it arrives impossible changes can occur in his favor. James A. Michener favorsbattlesoldier No idea is ever dead until those who believe in it say it's dead. James A. Michener beliefbelieveideas Rampaging horsemen can conquer; only the city can civilize. James A. Michener horsemenconquercities Not too many people work in a job where, waiting out there are three or four hundred people who are paid to tear apart what you've done. And often they are brighter than you are, or they know more about the subject than you do, or they wish they had written a book themselves, or done a lot better. Or they just don't like it! And you have to live with it. James A. Michener jobsbookpeople I kept careful record of the impact of religion on the election in my county. The religious issue permeated every meeting I conducted. It influenced Republicans and Democrats alike. Ministers preached politics publicly and churches distributed the most vicious electioneering materials. Practically no one I met escaped the pressure of this overriding problem and both parties were ultimately forced to make their major calculations with the religious question a foremost consideration. James A. Michener impactpartyreligious I never wrote anything that was published until I was forty. James A. Michener forty Things are going to go wrong, and I think we are false to life if we don’t portray it. But there is also the hope that some lucky clown is going to come along and stumble into the gold mine. And I think you are also entitled to hold out that hope. James A. Michener luckygoldthinking During my lifetime I have met dozens of writers and photographers in dozens of different countries. But I have encountered no one who could both write and photograph with the artistry of Robert Vavra. James A. Michener differentwritingcountry
