Amy Tan Quotes

American - Novelist February 19, 1952

It's both rebellion and conformity that attack you with success.

Success You Rebellion Attack Both Conformity

Who knows where inspiration comes from. Perhaps it arises from desperation. Perhaps it comes from the flukes of the universe, the kindness of the muses.

Kindness Universe Who Inspiration Arises Desperation Knows Muses Perhaps Where

God, life changes faster than you think.

Life God You Think Changes Faster Life Changes Than

I didn't fear failure. I expected failure.

Failure Fear Expected

I have a writer's memory which makes everything worse than maybe it actually was.

Memory Everything Worse Makes Writer Actually Maybe Than Which

I learned to forgive myself, and that enabled me to forgive my mother as a person.

Mother Myself Me Person Forgive Learned

I read a book a day when I was a kid. My family was not literary; we did not have any books in the house.

Family Day Book House Literary Any Books Did Kid Read

I started a second novel seven times and I had to throw them away.

Away Throw Seven Times Novel Second Had Started Them

Top 10
Amy Tan
Quotes

I thought I was clever enough to write as well as these people and I didn't realize that there is something called originality and your own voice.

People Your Voice Enough Clever Originality Realize Own Something Thought Well Write

I used to think that my mother got into arguments with people because they didn't understand her English, because she was Chinese.

Mother People Think Understand Argument Chinese English Because Got Her She Used

I was intelligent enough to make up my own mind. I not only had freedom of choice, I had freedom of expression.

Freedom Mind Only My Own Choice Expression Freedom Of Expression Intelligent Make Up Enough Had Make Own Up

I would find myself laughing and wondering where these ideas came from. You can call it imagination, I suppose. But I was grateful for wherever they came from.

Myself You Imagination Grateful Ideas Laughing Suppose Wherever Wondering Call Came Find Where Would

I would still like to have that luxury, to be able to just sit and draw for hours and hours and hours. In a way, that's what I do as a writer.

Way Like Luxury Sit Draw Hours Hours And Hours Writer Able Just Still Would

It's a luxury being a writer, because all you ever think about is life.

Life You Think Luxury Writer About Because Being Ever

My parents had very high expectations. They expected me to get straight A's from the time I was in kindergarten.

Me Time Parents Expectations Expected High Expectations Kindergarten Straight Get Had High Very

No one in my family was a reader of literary fiction. So, I didn't have encouragement, but I didn't have discouragement, because I don't think anybody knew what that meant.

Family Think Encouragement Because Discouragement Fiction Literary Literary Fiction Meant Reader Anybody Knew No-One

Placing on writers the responsibility to represent a culture is an onerous burden.

Responsibility Culture Burden Writers Placing Represent

That was a wonderful period in my life. I mean, I didn't become an artist, but somebody let me do something I loved. What a luxury, to do something you love to do.

Life Love Me You Luxury Period Wonderful Artist Become Loved Mean My Life Somebody Something

The forbidden things were a great influence on my life. I was forbidden from reading A Catcher in the Rye.

Life Great My Life Influence Catcher Catcher In The Rye Forbidden Reading Things Were

There are a lot of people who think that's what's needed to be successful is always being right, always being careful, always picking the right path.

People Path Think Who Careful Needed Picking Right Path Successful Always Being Lot Right

Writing is an extreme privilege but it's also a gift. It's a gift to yourself and it's a gift of giving a story to someone.

Yourself Gift Someone Writing Extreme Giving Privilege Also Story

In America nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you.

You America Nobody Circumstances Gives Says Else Keep Somebody

I'm open to reading almost anything - fiction, nonfiction - as long as I know from the first sentence or two that this is a voice I want to listen to for a good long while. It has much to do with imagery and language, a particular perspective, the assured knowledge of the particular universe the writer has created.

I don't steer clear of genres. I simply haven't steered myself toward some of them.

Myself Some Clear Simply Genres Steer Steered Toward Them

At the beginning of my career as a writer, I felt I knew nothing of Chinese culture. I was writing about emotional confusion with my mother related to our different beliefs. Hers was based in family history, which I didn't know anything about. I always felt hesitant in talking about Chinese culture and American culture.

I am an American, steeped in American values. But I know on an emotional level what it means to be of the Chinese culture.

I Am Culture Know Emotional American Values Chinese Chinese Culture Emotional Level Level Values Am American Means

My writing often contains souvenirs of the day - a song I heard, a bird I saw - which I then put into the novel.

Bird Song Day Writing Contains Heard Novel Saw Often Put Then Which

I'd like to be more forgiving. There are times when I've had a hard time forgiving people who have betrayed me.

Me Time People Who Betrayed Forgiving Hard Time Had Hard Like More Times

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