Even after I'd published three books and had been writing full-time for twenty years, my father continued to urge me to go to law school. Susan Orlean More Quotes by Susan Orlean More Quotes From Susan Orlean I am unusually Halloween-attentive, because, as it happens, I was born on Halloween, so for me it has always been an occasion of great moment. Susan Orlean halloween born moments College athletics are so entrenched and enjoyed by so many people that they will never be discontinued or substantially changed. I know that. I just pity the people caught in that tender trap. And most of all, I pity those kids. Susan Orlean college kids people The biggest problem with working at a treadmill desk: the compulsion to announce constantly that you are working at a treadmill desk. Susan Orlean desks compulsion problem Parents, it seems, have an almost Olympian persistence when it comes to suggesting more secure and lucrative lines of work for their children who have the notion that writing is an actual profession. I say this from experience. Susan Orlean persistence writing children I'm much more willing to buy a novel electronically by someone I don't know. Because if halfway through I think, I don't really like this, I can just stop. I can't throw books out, even if I think they're crummy. I feel like I've got to give it to the library. I've got to loan it to somebody, or I keep it on my shelf. It's like a plant. Susan Orlean giving book thinking If you had really loved something, wouldn't a little bit of it always linger? Susan Orlean little-bit bits littles Sometimes I think I've figured out some order in the universe, but then I find myself in Florida Susan Orlean florida order thinking When we stopped to rest and Tony tried to figure out what was wrong with his compass, I asked him what he thought it was about orchids that seduced humans so completely that they were compelled to steal them and worship them and try to breed new and specific kinds of them and then be willing to wait for nearly a decade for one of them to flower. Susan Orlean orchids flower waiting Buying a car used to be an experience so soul-scorching, so confidence-splattering, so existentially rattling that an entire car company was based on the promise that you wouldn't have to come in contact with it. Susan Orlean car soul promise You have to appreciate the spiritual component of having an opportunity to do something as wondrous as writing. You should be practical and smart and you should have a good agent and you should work really, really hard. But you should also be filled with awe and gratitude about this amazing way to be in the world. Susan Orlean gratitude smart spiritual I really believed that anything at all was worth writing about if you cared about it enough, and that the best and only necessary justification for writing any particular story was that I cared about it. Susan Orlean enough stories writing The lesson we have yet to learn from dogs, that could sustain us, is that having no apprehension of the past or future is not limiting but liberating. Susan Orlean pet dog past I can imagine a future in which real books will exist but in a more limited, particular way. Susan Orlean real book way When you're researching you're learning. When you're writing, you're teaching. Susan Orlean teaching writing I have worked on PCs and on Macs and, while I have my preferences, I don't find it crippling to work on one rather than the other. Susan Orlean macs preference Orchid hunting is a mortal occupation. Susan Orlean orchids hunting occupation In my perfect world, we would establish perhaps four national zoos of unimpeachable quality and close the rest of them. Susan Orlean quality perfect zoos The genius of a folk melody or story is not the feeling that it's original but quite the opposite - the feeling that it has existed all along. Susan Orlean genius opposites feelings I suppose I do have one embarrassing passion- I want to know what it feels like to care about something passionately. Susan Orlean passion care want The iPhone calendar isn't bad, but it isn't great, either. It only offers a day view and a month view - it doesn't have a week view, which drives me crazy. Susan Orlean iphone crazy views
