Growing food was the first activity that gave us enough prosperity to stay in one place, form complex social groups, tell our stories, and build our cities. Barbara Kingsolver More Quotes by Barbara Kingsolver More Quotes From Barbara Kingsolver The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for! Barbara Kingsolver anticipation hope life-is My way of finding a place in this world is to write one. Barbara Kingsolver writing way world Nothing to do with nature, unless you count human nature. Barbara Kingsolver diagonal d-day human-nature The wrong words are impossible when there are no words. Barbara Kingsolver wrong-words impossible There is a strange moment in time, after something horrible happens, when you know it's true, but you haven't told anyone yet. Barbara Kingsolver strange moments fear Our plans are small and somewhat absurd. Barbara Kingsolver absurd plans If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. That's not gallons, but barrels. Small changes in buying habits can make big differences. Becoming a less energy-dependent nation may just need to start with a good breakfast. Barbara Kingsolver small-changes oil country Quit smoking, and observe posted speed limits. This will improve your odds of getting old enough to be wise. Barbara Kingsolver odds wise smoking I could never work out whether we were to view religion as a life-insurance policy or a life sentence. I can understand a wrathful God who'd just as soon dangle us all from a hook. And I can understand a tender, unprejudiced Jesus. But I could never quite feature the two of them living in the same house. You wind up walking on eggshells, never knowing which... is at home at the moment. Barbara Kingsolver views home jesus For time and eternity there have been fathers like Nathan who simply can see no way to have a daughter but to own her like a plot of land. To work her, plow her under, rain down a dreadful poison upon her. Miraculously, it causes these girls to grow. They elongate on the pale slender stalks of their longing, like sunflowers with heavy heads. You can shield them with your body and soul, trying to absorb that awful rain, but they'll still move toward him. Without cease they'll bend to his light. Barbara Kingsolver daughter girl father Given my own circumstances, I find that anything can turn out to belong nearly anywhere. Barbara Kingsolver turns given circumstances Something in me was always watching life from the outside, permanently obsessed with the notion of belonging vs. not-belonging [to a group]. It did not make for a happy childhood, but it was excellent training for a writer. Barbara Kingsolver childhood training groups There is something in us that loves certain disasters and the fever of this moment and surrendering to that. Barbara Kingsolver fever disaster moments It's very important to distinguish between innocence and naivete. The innocent do not deserve to be the victims of violence. But only the naive refuse to think about the origins of violence and to pursue the possibility that the genesis of that hatred could be addressed. Barbara Kingsolver important hatred thinking Before that I was a scientist. I did research in population biology. And that's what I always go back to, it helps me to remember that people are not the end of the world, although we may be when it comes to it. We're just one species among millions in this world. Barbara Kingsolver population research people When you pick up a novel from the bed side table, you put down your own life at the same time and you become another person for the duration. Barbara Kingsolver bed tables sides Pay attention to your passions. They are the key to starting and finishing the book you are meant to write. I don't believe in talent. I believe in passion. Barbara Kingsolver passion believe book Plot comes first. The plot is the archictecture of your novel. You wouldn't build a house without a plan. If I wrote without a plot, it would just be a pile of bricks. Characters are your servants. They must serve your plot. Barbara Kingsolver house character firsts If you're writing, you're a writer. If you're talking about it or thinking about it, I'm not so sure. Writing is ninety-eight percent work and two percent magic. Barbara Kingsolver eight writing thinking I believe with all my heart in delivering on my contract with my readers. They've got plenty of other things to do, so I had better give them a reason to turn every one of these 550 pages. This is my promise: I solemnly swear I'll make you laugh out loud at least once, cry a little in private, and burn whatever you left on the stove. Barbara Kingsolver heart giving believe
