It's difficult to tell the truth about how a book begins. The truth, as far as it can be presented to other people, is either wholly banal or too intimate. Zadie Smith More Quotes by Zadie Smith More Quotes From Zadie Smith I wrote 'White Teeth' in the late nineties. I didn't really feel trepidatious about it. It was a different time. Zadie Smith teeth different white I recognize myself to be an intensely naive person. Most novelists are, despite frequent pretensions to deep socio-political insight. Zadie Smith novelists political insight The golden age of Luncheon Vouchers ended ten yearsago. For ten years Mickey had been saying, "The goldenage of Luncheon Vouchers is over." And that's what Archieloved about O'Connell's. Everything was remembered,nothing was lost. History was never revised orreinterpreted, adapted or whitewashed. It was as solid andas simple as the encrusted egg on the clock. Zadie Smith simple love years All novels attempt to cut neural routes through the brain, to convince us that down this road the true future of the novel lies. Zadie Smith convince-us cutting lying First rule of writing: When still a child, make sure you read a lot of books. Spend more time doing this than anything else. Zadie Smith writing book children People profess to have certain political positions, but their conservatism or liberalism is really the least interesting thing about them. Zadie Smith political people interesting It's a funny thing about rap, that when you say 'I' into the microphone, it's like a public confession. It's very strange. Zadie Smith funny-things rap strange Writing is my way of expressing - and thereby eliminating - all the various ways we can be wrong-headed. Zadie Smith eliminating writing way It was a kiss from the past. Zadie Smith kissing past You don't have favourites among your children, but you do have allies. Zadie Smith your-children allies children Each couple is its own vaudeville act. Zadie Smith vaudeville couple Rarely does one see a squirrel tremble. Zadie Smith squirrels doe Fate is a quantity very much like TV: an unstoppable narrative, written, produced and directed by somebody else. Zadie Smith fate narrative tvs You are never stronger...than when you land on the other side of despair. Zadie Smith empowering despair land ...despite all this, it is still hard to admit that there is no one more English than the Indian, no one more Indian than the English. There are still young white men who are angry about that; who will roll out at closing time into the poorly lit streets with a kitchen knife wrapped in a tight fist. But it makes an immigrant laugh to hear the fears of the nationalist, scared of infection, penetration, miscegenation, when this is small fry, peanuts, compared to what the immigrant fears - dissolution, disappearance. Zadie Smith white-man knives men The object of the passion is just an accessory to the passion itself. Zadie Smith accessories objects passion It's easy to confuse a woman for a philosophy Zadie Smith easy philosophy You're a library of me. Zadie Smith library I cannot believe homosexuality is that much fun. Heterosexuality certainly is not. Zadie Smith heterosexuality fun believe The lady was old, the lady was ill. It didn't matter what the lady believed. Zadie Smith ill matter