When this is over, I'm not going to be the same guy. I am going to live as if I were a great man. James A. Michener More Quotes by James A. Michener More Quotes From James A. Michener The arrogance of the artist is a very profound thing, and it fortifies you. James A. Michener arrogance artist profound Being goal-oriented instead of self-oriented is crucial. I know so many people who want to be writers. But let me tell you, they really don't want to be writers. They want to have been writers. They wish they had a book in print. They don't want to go through the work of getting the damn book out. There is a huge difference. James A. Michener self writing book If a young aspirant had a modicum of skill and a busy typewriter she or he would sooner or later get a foothold in one of the magazines and a leaping start on the ladder upward. James A. Michener typewriters skills writing The extreme geniality of San Francisco's economic, intellectual and political climate makes it the most varied and challenging city in the United States. James A. Michener san-francisco political cities We risk great peril if we kill off this spirit of adventure, for we cannot predict how and in what seemingly unrelated fields it will manifest itself. A nation that loses its forward thrust is in danger, and one of the most effective ways to retain that thrust is to keep exploring possibilities. The sense of exploration is intimately bound up with human resolve, and for a nation to believe that it is still committed to a forward motion is to ensure its continuance. James A. Michener future adventure believe Although most of us know Vincent van Gogh in Arles and Paul Gauguin in Tahiti as if they were neighbors -- somewhat disreputable but endlessly fascinating -- none of us can name two French generals or department store owners of that period. I take enormous pride in considering myself an artist, one of the necessaries. James A. Michener pride artist names In six pages, I can't even say "Hello. James A. Michener six pages writing If I were a young man, I would not hesitate at writing anything to get into print, except pornography. James A. Michener young writing men Contrary to what people think, I slave over my books. James A. Michener book people thinking The rules seem to be these: If you have written a successful novel, everyone invites you to write short stories. If you have written some good short stories, everyone wants you to write a novel. But nobody wants anything until you have already proved yourself by being published somewhere else. James A. Michener successful somewhere-else writing Many people who want to be writers don't really want to be writers. They want to have been writers. They wish they had a book in print. James A. Michener wish book people Russia, France, Germany and China. They revere their writers. America is still a frontier country that almost shudders at the idea of creative expression. James A. Michener russia expression country I think young people ought to seek that differential experience that is going to knock them off dead center. I was a typical American school boy. I happened to get straight A's and be pretty good in sports. But I had no great vision of what I could be. And I never had any yearning. James A. Michener sports boys school On 24 October 1944 Planet Earth was following its orbit about the sun as it has obediently done for nearly five billion years. James A. Michener orbit done years organizations like the church or General Motors promote a man up and up until he reaches a spot which he is obviously incapable of filling, and there they lay him to rest. James A. Michener church organization men A writer can make a fortune in America, but he can't make a living. James A. Michener fortune america As a writer I have persisted in my uncertainty, alternating between novels which could charitably be considered literature and world reporting which by another stretch of objective standards might be called history. James A. Michener literature might world I do believe that everyone growing up faces differential opportunities. With me, it was books and travel and some good teachers. James A. Michener growing-up teacher believe I don’t know who my parents were. I know nothing about my inheritance. I could be Jewish; I could be part Negro; I could be Irish; I could be Russian. I am spiritually a mix anyway, but I did have a solid childhood fortunately, because of some wonderful women who brought me up. I never had a father or a man in the house, and that was a loss... James A. Michener loss men father I feel myself the inheritor of a great background of people. Just who, precisely, they were, I have never known. I might be part Negro, might be part Jew, part Muslim, part Irish. So I can't afford to be supercilious about any group of people because I may be that people. James A. Michener groups may people
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