Words matter. These are the best James A. Michener Quotes, and they’re great for sharing with your friends.
Whenever I start a book, I swear it’s going to be a short one. But then it’s, ‘Who was his grandfather? And how did he get there in the first place? And what kind of animals is he chasing?’
It takes courage to know when you ought to be afraid.
Very early on in life, I decided the hell with it: material things weren’t for me. Christmas would come, and other kids would have all these presents, and it wouldn’t bother me a bit.
I’m just a guy up on a hill writing.
If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.
America is a nation with many flaws that only the stupid would deny, but with hopes so vast that only the cowardly would refuse to acknowledge them.
I attended seminars where many social issues were discussed abstractly, outside the pressures of an immediate situation, and there I developed certain attitudes which permitted me to face the real thing when it came along.
Honest to God, I do all the research on these books myself.
I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.
I am the product of the American education system. It is a system that has always been on the lookout for bright boys and girls. It spotted me when I was 14, and I owe a tremendous debt to my alma mater.
The really great writers are people like Emily Bronte who sit in a room and write out of their limited experience and unlimited imagination.
If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.
If you type adeptly with 10 fingers, you’re typing faster than your mind is working.
The arrogance of the artist is a very profound thing, and it fortifies you.
Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.
The permanent temptation of life is to confuse dreams with reality. The permanent defeat of life comes when dreams are surrendered to reality.
Russia, France, Germany and China. They revere their writers. America is still a frontier country that almost shudders at the idea of creative expression.
If I were a young man today, I might be lured into the moviemaking industry. You can really make a statement there.
I can’t remember how old I was, maybe 13, 14, and to see these fellows and hear their stories and to see life come to such a drab ending – my God, a poorhouse in those days was something. You would have to be inert not to respond to it.
Hawaii and Fiji are two of the best island groups in the world to visit as a vacationer. The great hotels, the fascinating local people, the exciting history of the two contrasting island groups, and the unmatched scenery make these two of the most enticing stopovers.
I was brought up in the great tradition of the late nineteenth century: that a writer never complains, never explains and never disdains.
My work as a naval officer in World War II enabled me to serve on 49 different South Pacific islands so that I came to know the area about as well as anyone.
A person on dialysis undergoes very heavy and irritating treatment, and in time, it seems more than you can bear.
They were a group of two dozen nurses completely surrounded by 100,000 unattached American men.
Whatever I did, there was always someone around who was better qualified. They just didn’t bother to do it.
I know the world of opera so intimately: historical sweep, sharply defined characters, not too rational an explanation of what’s going on. It’s a feast.
I was a Navy officer writing about Navy problems and I simply stole this lovely Army nurse and popped her into a Navy uniform, where she has done very well for herself.
When I first pitched my Navy tent on the island of Espiritu Santo to the north of Vila, the natives on nearby Malakula were cannibals. Today, they have representation in the United Nations.
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.
I missed a whole cycle of childhood, but I’ve never used it as a device for self-pity.
