#ow

As a child. I grew up on a small farm, so I did a lot of drawings of animals, chickens and people. At the bottom of every page, I'd put a strange scribble. I was emulating adult handwriting, though I didn't actually know how to write. ↗

— Joyce Carol Oates

#adult #bottom #chickens #child #did

Honorary degrees and lifetime achievement awards are very encouraging. I know that it might sound strange that a writer who has published many books still needs encouragement, but this is true. ↗

— Joyce Carol Oates

#awards #books #degrees #encouragement #encouraging

I was brought up to be sympathetic toward others. ↗

— Joyce Carol Oates

#i #others #sympathetic #toward #up

If a book I've committed myself to review turns out to be 'disappointing' I make an effort to present it objectively to the reader, including a good number of excerpts from the text, so that the reader might form his or her own opinion independent of my own. ↗

— Joyce Carol Oates

#committed #disappointing #effort #form #good

You know, the people who do indie film and decide who gets those little budgets? They're mean, man. They're cold and very cool-oriented. ↗

— Louis C. K.

#cold #decide #film #gets #indie

Sometimes I read reviews, and without exception I will read critical essays that are sent to me. The critical essays are interesting on their own terms. ↗

— Joyce Carol Oates

#essays #exception #i #interesting #me

I know I am at the end. I shall never get better, dear. ↗

— Lillie Langtry

#better #dear #end #get #i

Yes, I've listened to just a few audiobooks - but hope to listen to more. I've wanted to investigate how my own books sound in this format and find the experience of listening, and not reading, quite fascinating. ↗

— Joyce Carol Oates

#experience #fascinating #few #find #format

Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. ↗

— Barack Obama

#asks #because #buck #certain #focusing

If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress. ↗

— Barack Obama

#eventually #keep #make #path #progress