You think of the book you'd most like to be reading, and then you sit down and shamelessly write it. J. D. Salinger More Quotes by J. D. Salinger More Quotes From J. D. Salinger In every school I've gone to, all the athletic bastards stick together. J. D. Salinger athletictogetherschool Give me an honest con man any day. J. D. Salinger honestgivingmen I just never felt so fantastically rocky in my entire life. J. D. Salinger felt I think if you don't really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all, and if you do like her, then you're supposed to like her face, and if you like her face, you ought to be careful about doing crumby stuff to it, like squirting water all over it. It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes. J. D. Salinger horsegirlfun Or you'd just passed by one of those puddles in the street with gasoline rainbows in them. I mean you'd be different in some way—I can't explain what I mean. And even if I could, I'm not sure I'd feel like it. J. D. Salinger rainbowdifferentmean Your heart, Bessie, is an autumn garage. J. D. Salinger garageautumnheart If you sat around there long enough and heard all the phonies applauding and all, you got to hate everybody in the world, I swear you did. J. D. Salinger hatelongworld People never think anything is anything really. I'm getting goddam sick of it. J. D. Salinger sickpeoplethinking Listen," he said. "If you was a fish, Mother Nature'd take care of you, wouldn't she? Right? You don't think them fish just die when it gets to be winter, do ya?" No, but--" You're goddam right they don't J. D. Salinger motherwinterthinking He was one of those guys that think they're being a pansy if they don't break around forty of your fingers when they shake hands with you. God I hate that stuff. J. D. Salinger hatehandsthinking I don't hate too many guys. What I may do, I may hate them for a little while, like this guy Stradlater I knew at Pencey, and this other boy, Robert Ackley. I hate them once in a while—I admit it—but it doesn't last too long, is what I mean. After a while, if I didn't see them, if they didn't come in the room, or if I didn't see them in the dining room for a couple of meals, I sort of missed them. I mean I sort of missed them. J. D. Salinger couplehatemean The Great Gatsby' [...] was my 'Tom Sawyer' when I was twelve [....] J. D. Salinger tomstwelvesawyer Don't you think I have sense enough to worry about my motives for saying the prayer? That's exactly what's bothering me so. Just because I'm choosy about what I want - in this case, enlightenment or peace, instead or money or prestige or game or any of those things, doesn't mean I'm not as egotistical and self-seeking as everybody else. If anything, I'm more so! J. D. Salinger prayermeanthinking As nearly as possible in the spirit of Matthew Salinger, age one, urging a luncheon companion to accept a cool lima bean, I urge my editor, mentor and (heaven help him) closest friend, William Shawn, genius domus of The New Yorker, lover of the long shot, protector of the unprolific, defender of the hopelessly flamboyant, most unreasonably modest of born great artist-editors to accept this pretty skimpy-looking book. J. D. Salinger artistlovebook She's quite skinny, like me, but nice skinny. Roller-skate skinny. I watched her once from the window when she was crossing over Fifth Avenue to go to the park, and that's what she is, roller-skate skinny. You'd like her. J. D. Salinger fifth-avenueparksnice I said old Jesus probably would've puked if He could see it - all those fancy costumes and all. Sally said I was a sacrilegious atheist. I probably am. The thing Jesus really would've liked would be the guy who plays the kettle drums in the orchestra. J. D. Salinger atheistplayjesus It's nice when somebody tells you about their uncle. Especially when they start out telling you about their father's farm and then all of a sudden get more interested in their uncle. J. D. Salinger unclesnicefather The cards are stacked (quite properly, I imagine) against all professional aesthetes, and no doubt we all deserve the dark, wordy, academic deaths we all sooner or later die. J. D. Salinger doubtdarkcards Give me a story that just makes me unreasonably vigilant. Keep me up till five only because all your stars are out, and for no other reason. J. D. Salinger starsstoriesgiving Did you see more glass? J. D. Salinger glasses
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