"In a very basic way, a prominent landmark such as Mt. Holyoke tells you where you are. They let you know that you're not the first person in a place"
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Quote collection
Tracy Kidder quotes (page 2 of 3)
51 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"If you had an essentially happy childhood, that tends to dwell with you."
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"What I like about non-fiction is that it covers such a huge territory. The best non-fiction is also creative"
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"I do believe in God. I think God has given so much power to people, and intelligence, and said, 'Well, you are on your own. Maybe I'm tired, I need a nap. You are mature. Why don't you look after yourselves?' And I think He's been sleeping too much."
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"You can write about anything, and if you write well enough, even the reader with no intrinsic interest in the subject will become involved."
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"That's when I feel most alive, he told me once on an airplane, when I'm helping people."
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"I want my prose to be as clear as a pane of glass."
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"What interests me is trying to catch the reflection of the human being on the page. I'm interested in how ordinary people live their lives"
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"...Attempts at imitation would put the emphasis where it didn't belong. The goal was to improve the lives of others, not oneself."
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"The only real nation is humanity"
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"I'm going to a commune in Vermont and will deal with no unit of time shorter than a season."
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"At first, I spend about four hours a day writing. Toward the end of a book, I spend up to 16 hours a day on it, because all I want to do is make it good and get it done."
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"God gives us humans everything we need to flourish, but he's not the one who's supposed to divvy up the loot. That charge was laid upon us"
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"I wrote a novel about the combat experiences I didn't have in Vietnam."
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"I tell beginning readers to read a lot and write a lot. If you want to write a book, find a subject that's really worth the time and effort you'll put in."
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"If you live in the same small place long enough, something you don't like is bound to happen"
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"The ocean doesn't care about you. It makes your boat feel tiny. The oceans are great promoters of religion, or at least of humility-but not in everyone."
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"I am grateful to Stacy Schiff first of all because she can write a sentence-because she offers us her scholarship with wit, clarity, and grace. Once again, she has done what only the best writers can do: she has made the world new, again."
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"Being a professional writer is not an easy way to make a living."
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"I've gotta keep life and computers separate, or else I'm gonna go mad."
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