I wanted a picture of Jamaica that isn't in books, and certainly not in novels. Marlon James More Quotes by Marlon James More Quotes From Marlon James ...Love isn’t saying, I love you but calling to say, did you eat Marlon James say-i-love-youcallinglove-you I think that’s what Toni Morrison and Alice Walker understand, the secret language of women. That it’s not a secret at all; men just don’t know how to listen. Marlon James womensecretthinking Bad feeling is a country no woman want to visit. So they take good feeling any which way it come. Sometime that good feeling come by taking on a different kind of bad feeling. Marlon James feelingslifecountry Those who think he had lucky breaks are not only unaware of the real story but also fall prey to that sin of the mediocre: bitchiness about others’ success Marlon James realfallthinking We're not big on irony in Jamaica, sarcasm and double-talk. We tend to say things plainly, sometimes to the point of boredom. Marlon James sayboredomsarcasmsometimes Caribbean literature only has to be true to itself. It doesn't need colonialism or imperialism. It's always been vibrant. Marlon James trueneedalwaysliterature I'd spent seven years in an all-boys school: 2,000 adolescents in the same khaki uniforms striking hunting poses, stalking lunchrooms, classrooms, changing rooms, looking for boys who didn't fit in. Marlon James lookinghuntingyearsschool I'm really interested in how non-American countries process race. Marlon James reallyhowraceprocess 'The Daily Mail' interviewed my friends in Jamaica to find out if I was ever the victim of a vicious homophobic attack because, to them, I'm a gay refugee. But nothing like that happened. So, no surprise, that story didn't appear. I'm really pretty boring. Marlon James dailyfriendssurprisegay I grew up with reggae. Reggae is like family. I know it, and there's a type of love and familiarity, but sometimes you want to hang out with other people. Marlon James youfamilylovepeople The fiction writer in me likes gaps in stories because I can jump into that gap and try to suggest something. Marlon James jumptrymei-can A lot of time, I'd spell things in standard English instead of phonetically because I want people to understand what's going on. It's also very lyrical, and the great thing about lyrical prose is even when you're not totally sure of the words, you can be swayed by the musicality of it. Marlon James greatyoutimepeople I think, for me, there's The Book I Should Write and The Book I Wanted to Write - and they weren't the same book. The Book I Should Write should be realistic, since I studied English Lit. It should be cultural. It should reflect where I am today. The Book I Wanted to Write would probably include flying women, magic, and all of that. Marlon James i-ammewomentoday Some of the craziest aspects about 'Weeper' were the things I found out to be true. I mean, true of people. Marlon James be-truetruethingspeople My first novel, 'John Crow's Devil,' freed me up to write about the past, and 'The Book of Night Women' freed me up to have a book totally based on voice and being very spontaneous. Marlon James mewomendevilnight I find the violence in PG13 movies unbearable. This kid will never run home, never have another birthday. His death is slow, nightmarish. And you have to explore the consequences - the people who live on with this death. Marlon James youhomebirthdaydeath I think the Greeks were the only people ever to nail character. Their heroes are deeply flawed. Marlon James heroesthinkcharacterpeople There was never a single murder in my neighbourhood; there was barely a robbery. It was so suburban, it was almost disappointing. Marlon James almostneverrobberysingle In 1976, Rastafarians were one of the most violated, persecuted groups in Jamaica. They could be beaten within an inch of their lives, or detained for two years, just for being found in a 'proper' neighbourhood. Marlon James justbeingtwoyears At 28 years old, seven years out of college, I was so convinced that my voice outed me as a fag that I had stopped speaking to people I didn't know. Marlon James mevoicecollegepeople
