I grew up in North Dakota around Dakota and Ojibwe people, and also small-town people in Wahpeton. Writers make few choices, really, about their material. We have to write about what comes naturally and what interests us - so I do. Louise Erdrich More Quotes by Louise Erdrich More Quotes From Louise Erdrich Our tribe unraveled like a coarse rope, frayed at either end as the old and new among us were taken. Louise Erdrich old-and-new rope taken [On her and husband Michael Dorris:] We both have title collections. I think a title is like a magnet. It begins to draw these scraps of experience or conversation or memory to it. Eventually, it collects a book. Louise Erdrich husband memories book i want to hear what's happened to you," she said evenly after a while. she gestured in the direction, down river, of the butcher shop. "it's just that there is nowhere else to start," she said gently. "niether of us is the same. but i'm different because of small, good, manageable things. you're different because ... things i don't know. Louise Erdrich different want rivers This so gnawed at him on some nights that he lay awake wondering just how many unknown and similarly inconsequential accidents and bits of happenstance were at this moment occurring or failing to occur in order to ensure he took his next breath, and the next. Louise Erdrich next night order I spend most of my time writing. Louise Erdrich my-time writing I have brothers and was a tomboy, if that's still a designation. It wasn't a stretch for me to think and write as a 13-year-old boy - it is freeing. Louise Erdrich brother writing boys Being a girl didn't really affect me until I entered junior high and had to wear skirts, curl my hair, and even get used to panty hose. However, my hatred of panty hose helped make me a writer who only wears comfortable clothes. I've successfully avoided panty hose for most of my life. Louise Erdrich clothes girl hair I always have some way of putting the stories together that works for the book. I've always switched points of view in my books. I'm a Gemini. Louise Erdrich views together book Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that. Louise Erdrich protect protect-you break If only I had discipline, but alas, it is only an obsessive-compulsive trait and the beauty of habit that causes me to return again and again to my work. Louise Erdrich obsessive-compulsive discipline return I want to remember what bullshit looks like when weapons of mass destruction are diagrammed out and whacko "intelligence" is delivered in an ominous way to strike fear into people and especially to pull on the idealism and zeal of the young. Louise Erdrich mass-destruction bullshit people I am at the bookstore a lot, but let my friends, the professional Birchbark Books staff, handle the day in and day out. Louise Erdrich staff handle book Sometimes a person's monstrosity seems superhuman. Louise Erdrich monstrosity superhuman sometimes I had a very free childhood and ranged around on my bicycle the way boys do. I had few restrictions. Louise Erdrich childhood boys way I think one of the reasons to be here on earth is to finally be who we are, at all times - to know and be predictable to ourselves. Louise Erdrich who-we-are earth thinking Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.” ― Louise Erdrich, The Painted Drum LP Louise Erdrich Love must not touch the marrow of the soul. Our affections must be breakable chains that we can cast them off or tighten them. Louise Erdrich It was enough just to sit there without words. Louise Erdrich sit without words enough I have never fully exorcised shames that struck me to the heart as a child except through written violence, shadowy caricature, and dark jokes. Louise Erdrich child me dark heart My grandfather was a persuasive man who made friends with people at every level of influence. In order to fight against our tribe's termination, he went to newspapers and politicians and urged them to advocate for our tribe in Washington. He also supported his family through the Depression as a truck farmer. Louise Erdrich man family depression people
