Who gathers the withered rose? William Faulkner More Quotes by William Faulkner More Quotes From William Faulkner All of us failed to match our dreams of perfection. So I rate us on the base of our splendid failure to do the impossible. William Faulkner possible-and-impossible perfection dream I never know what I think about something until I read what I've written on it. William Faulkner knows writing thinking It is my ambition to be, as a private individual, abolished and voided from history, leaving it markless. William Faulkner individual leaving ambition You have to write badly in order to write well. William Faulkner wells writing order I'm inclined to think that a military background wouldn't hurt anyone. William Faulkner military hurt thinking Now she hates me. I have taught her that, at least. William Faulkner hate-me taught hate To me, all human behavior is unpredictable and, considering man's frailty... and... the ramshackle universe he functions in, it's... all irrational. William Faulkner hollywood men art Between grief and nothing, I will take grief. William Faulkner statistics grief fun They all talked at once, their voices insistent and contradictory and impatient, making of unreality a possibility, then a probability, then an incontrovertible fact, as people will when their desires become words. William Faulkner voice desire people When I have one martini, I feel bigger, wiser, taller. When I have a second, I feel superlative. When I have more, there's no holding me. William Faulkner martini bigger feels Setting an example for your children takes all the fun out of middle age Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing. William Faulkner fun children people Women ... to them any wedding is better than no wedding and a big wedding with a villain preferable to a small one with a saint. William Faulkner women villain saint Because there is something in the touch of flesh with flesh which abrogates, cuts sharp and straight across the devious intricate channels of decorous ordering, which enemies as well as lovers know because it makes them both:---touch and touch of that which is the citadel of the central I-Am's private own: not spirit, soul; the liquorish and ungirdled mind is anyone's to take in any any darkened hallway of this earthly tenement. But let flesh touch with flesh, and watch the fall of all the eggshell shibboleth of caste and color too. William Faulkner cutting color fall When ideas come, I write them; when they don't come, I don't. William Faulkner simplicity writing ideas This does not matter. This is not anything yet. It all depends on what you do with it, afterward. William Faulkner depends matter doe The artists who want to be writers, read the reviews; the artists who want to write, don't. William Faulkner editors artist writing She wouldn't say what we both knew. 'The reason you will not say it is, when you say it, even to yourself, you will know it is true: is that it? But you know it is true now. I can almost tell you the day when you knew it is true. Why won't you say it, even to yourself?' She will not say it. William Faulkner i-can reason knows A gentleman can live through anything. William Faulkner gentleman courage Good art can come out of thieves, bootleggers, or horse swipes. People really are afraid to find out just how much hardship and poverty they can stand. They are afraid to find out how tough they are. Nothing can destroy the good writer. The only thing that can alter the good writer is death. Good ones don't have time to bother with success or getting rich. Success is feminine and like a woman; if you cringe before her, she will override you. So the way to treat her is to show her the back of your hand. Then maybe she will do the crawling. William Faulkner horse hands art I dont hate it he thought, panting in the cold air, the iron New England dark; I dont. I dont! I dont hate it! I dont hate it! William Faulkner hate air dark