As a writer, you don't know what the hell you're doing. You're just doing it. You hope it works out well. John Edgar Wideman More Quotes by John Edgar Wideman More Quotes From John Edgar Wideman I wish I had time to listen to music more. John Edgar Wideman i-wish music wish time I don't understand why black people have been so quiescent, so passive over the hundreds of years of American history. Why hasn't there been more violence, more armed struggle? I know answers to some of that, but it seems to me it's an issue of faith, an abiding faith in some sort of great beyond, or great spirit, or even in the American dream. John Edgar Wideman me faith history people I often want things to make definite statements. If I order onions sliced thinly on my hamburger, I don't want them to come out sort of medium. But that doesn't mean it's a reasonable desire, in all things. John Edgar Wideman things want desire mean I write what I want to write, and then, when it's finished, I use my judgment to see whether or not I think it's intrusive. If it is problematic, then I ask those involved. I won't necessarily do what they say. But I do consult. I haven't had too many problems. Nobody's really gotten angry at me. Nobody, as far as I know, has felt betrayed. John Edgar Wideman nobody problems me angry I feel compelled not to pass on a vision of bleakness, destruction or cynicism. I want to tell the truth as I see it, but I also have to believe that individuals - my kids, your kids, whoever - can do something about it, and I want to show the ways in which they can do something about it. John Edgar Wideman feel vision truth believe I don't make that hard and fast distinction between political and nonpolitical writing. I write about what bothers me. John Edgar Wideman me hard political writing What basketball expresses is what jazz expresses. Certain cultural predispositions to make art. All African-American art has a substratum, or baseline, of improvisation and spontaneity. You find that in both basketball and jazz. John Edgar Wideman find you basketball art For African-American people, I am in the business of inventing a reality that gives a different perspective - on history, on crime, on art, on love. John Edgar Wideman business love history art Writers transform: they throw a hand grenade into the notion of reality that people carry around in their heads. That's very dangerous, very destructive, but not to do it means you are satisfied with the status quo - and that's a kind of danger as well, because a kind of violence is already being perpetuated. John Edgar Wideman you violence reality people Real change is always violent, but it may hurt a lot less than what's in place before the violence occurs. John Edgar Wideman place violence change hurt All my life, I've been very aware of my body. I have always used it as a gauge of things. When I look at a person, and I see their body, that's the beginning of knowledge about them. Furthermore, I respect the body. John Edgar Wideman my-life respect life knowledge I have written about the women around me. My ancestors, my relatives, lovers. It was a way of trying to make it all make sense. John Edgar Wideman me women trying way Home wasn't so much a house as people, family. John Edgar Wideman family house home people I don't have anybody living around me who has much of a sense of what I do. That's exactly what I like. John Edgar Wideman who like me living
