The lizard that jumped from a high Iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no-one else did. Chinua Achebe More Quotes by Chinua Achebe More Quotes From Chinua Achebe The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. Chinua Achebe failure-of-leadership nigeria trouble Americans, it seems to me, tend to protect their children from the harshness of life, in their interest. That's not the way my people rear their children. They let them experience the world as it is. Chinua Achebe children people world To the question of writing at all we have sometimes been counselled to forget it, or rather the writing of books. What is required, we are told, is plays and films. Books are out of date! The book is dead, long live television! One question which is not even raised let alone considered is: Who will write the drama and film scripts when the generation that can read and write has been used up? Chinua Achebe writing drama book A chief does not hurry. Chinua Achebe chiefs doe When a new saying gets to the land of empty men, they lose their heads over it. Chinua Achebe empty land men Many writers can't make a living. So to be able to teach how to write is valuable to them. But I don't really know about its value to the student. I don't mean it's useless. But I wouldn't have wanted anyone to teach me how to write. Chinua Achebe able writing mean When I began going to school and learned to read, I encountered stories of other people and other lands. In one of my essays, I remember the kind of things that fascinated me. Weird things, even, about a wizard who lived in Africa and went to China to find a lamp... Fascinating to me because they were about things remote, and almost ethereal. Chinua Achebe land people school Men have learned to shoot without missing their mark and I have learned to fly without perching on a twig. Chinua Achebe twigs missing men I'm amazed when I think about students today. They know from day one what they are going to be. We didn't. We just coasted. We just knew that things would work out. Chinua Achebe work-out today thinking When I was in England, I had seen advertisements about typing agencies; I had learned that if you really want to make a good impression, you should have your manuscript well typed. Chinua Achebe agency should-have want We have heard stories about white men who make the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true. Chinua Achebe powerful gun strong I wouldn't have wanted anyone to teach me how to write. That's my own taste. I prefer to stumble on it. Chinua Achebe teach taste writing Whenever you see a toad jumping in broad daylight, then know that something is after its life. Chinua Achebe toads daylight jumping I don't praise my people. I am their greatest critic. Chinua Achebe critics praise people Real tragedy is never resolved. It goes on hopelessly for ever. Chinua Achebe tragedy real goes-on Living fire begets cold, impotent ash. Chinua Achebe okonkwo ashes fire I think writers are not only writers, they are also citizens. Chinua Achebe citizens thinking When we hear a house has fallen do we ask if the ceiling fell with it? Chinua Achebe thought-provoking ceilings house No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was not really a man. Chinua Achebe okonkwo men children "You sound as if you question the authority and the decision of the Oracle, who said he should die." Chinua Achebe yams mother children
