She kept watching the words. Markus Zusak More Quotes by Markus Zusak More Quotes From Markus Zusak I try hard and aim big. People can hate or love my books but they can never accuse me of not trying. Markus Zusak hate book people I had many boxing matches with my brother in the backyard when we were younger, and I guess while other people abhor boxing for its brutality, I also have to admire anyone who climbs into the ring to face up to what could be the ultimate defeat. Markus Zusak boxing brother people I'm not a writer who refuses to talk about a book until I've finished. Markus Zusak finished refuse book I guess I'm what you call a slush-piler. I just sent my manuscripts to the slush pile of publishers and hoped for the best. Over seven years, I was rejected seven times on three different books. The fourth attempt was picked up by a small publisher, and I still have great memories of staying up all night, talking to my brother and sisters (my dad called me at 2:30 in the morning because I was overseas). Markus Zusak brother morning memories Amplified by the still of night, the book opened -- a gust of wind. Markus Zusak wind night book Living in Sydney, I've taken the chance to start surfing again. One of my best memories of growing up is catching my first proper wave and surfing across it and my brother cheering at me from the shore. Markus Zusak growing-up cheer brother To me the question is always this: if a ray of light came out of the sky and said, "Your next book will never be published - would you still write it?" If the answer is yes, the book is worth writing. Markus Zusak light writing book I think that as a writer your responsibility is to search for and stir up the things that are in this world. There is violence in all of us, and beauty, and strength, and weakness. What's my job? To only write about the good and the beauty, or is it to write about all of it? That's my greater responsibility, to write about them as I see them and as they are. Markus Zusak responsibility writing jobs I always marvel at the humans' ability to keep going. They always manage to stagger on even with tears streaming down their faces. Markus Zusak streaming tears faces We underestimate teenagers at our peril. Even the dismissive thing out on the street--look at what they're wearing. Then we'll hear stories about how a toddler fell on the tracks, and it's often a teenager who comes to the rescue and walks away because he or she doesn't want any credit. I recognize it because I've written books for teenagers--it's basically that they feel things more than adults do. They want things more than you think. They want things with greater depth than you think they do. Teenagers have got a lot of soul that adults have forgotten they have within themselves. Markus Zusak teenager book thinking I see how complicated it is to make a film and how many people are involved and I love the fact that I get to sit in a room on my own and the set costs nothing and the actors cost nothing and I'm the director and it's so simple. You just need a pen and paper to make a book. You don't need a huge budget or a gaffer or a best boy. Markus Zusak simple boys book But for now, happiness throws stones. It guards itself. I wait. Markus Zusak stones waiting happiness There was sex, of course. Nakedness. Wall to wall, in and out of my thoughts. But when it was over it was her whispering voice I craved, and a human curled up in my arms. Markus Zusak wall voice sex Around us I can sniff out a savagery in the noisy southern air. It knifes it's way into my nose, but I do not bleed blood. It's fear I bleed, and it gushes out over my lip. I wipe it away, in a hurry. Markus Zusak southern air blood When I was growing up, I wanted to be a house painter like my father, but I was always screwing up when I went to work with him. I had a talent for knocking over paint and painting myself into corners. I also realized fairly quickly that painting bored me. Markus Zusak growing-up bored father I walked home, seeing all my doubt from the other side. Have you ever seen that? Like when you go on holiday. On the way back, everything is the same but it looks a little different than it did on the way. It's because you're seeing it backwards. Markus Zusak holiday doubt home You can do anything when it's not real. Markus Zusak real can-do Not a beauty queen. Not one of those. You know the ones. She was real. Markus Zusak beauty-queen queens real An attribute of Rosa Hubermann, she was a good woman for a crisis. Markus Zusak good-woman attributes crisis The injury of words. Yes, the brutality of words. Markus Zusak injury brutality
