“I think you get mentally ill being homeless. Most of the bag ladies wind up mentally ill pretty quickly - what people would call paranoid - because they are in such danger. I don't know if it's really paranoia because they are in great danger. Terrible things happen to them, and they lose everything. How could they not become at the very least severely depressed?” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsHappensLosesDangerWindTerribleIllThings HappenBagsHomelessTerrible ThingsParanoiaParanoidMentally Ill Author:Alix Kates Shulman
“One important part of historical recording is to get people of another generation to understand the feelings, the passion that went into social transformation. That's why oral history is so valuable.” PeopleImportantFeelingsPassionSocialGenerationsTransformationHistoricalValuableOral HistorySocial Transformation Author:Alix Kates Shulman
“People often say to me now, "Your work changed my life." I'm sure that's an exaggeration, but they say it had a big effect on them and enabled them to change. I'm not sure I believe that a book will cause someone to change.” PeopleBelieveBookBigsI BelieveCausesEffectsChangedNot SureExaggerationChanged My Life Author:Alix Kates Shulman
“I am not a psychological novelist, and I try very hard not to allow the reader to see the plight or circumstances of the characters as individual psychological plights. That's my preference; still, a lot of people do read my novels as psychological studies, and they're right to read them that way too, if that's what they mean to them.” PeopleIfsWayTryingMeanStillsHardCharacterIndividualNovelStudyReaderCircumstancesPsychologicalNovelistsPreferencePlight Author:Alix Kates Shulman
“As I experienced life on the island, without electricity, plumbing or telephone, I thought it was important to show that people can live as I did without dying or falling apart. I wanted people to understand that we don't need everything that our culture tells us we have to have to be satisfied.” PeopleNeedsImportantShowsWantedFallCultureDyingSatisfiedIslandsElectricityTelephonesFalling ApartPlumbing Author:Alix Kates Shulman
“When farming became a corporate venture, and the distribution of food became corporate, the variety of foods that were considered good diminished greatly. I know that there's a lot of misconception about this, that people think we have more food variety than ever before, but, in fact, if you read any of the studies, you'll find we have fewer foods than before.” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsFactsStudyVarietyCorporateFewerVentureDistributionFarmingMisconception Author:Alix Kates Shulman
“Ever since Freud, being alone has been considered something of a psychological failure. The point, according to Freudian theory, is to be able to love and connect. But I don't believe that at all. I think that being alone and being coupled and being in a group are all natural states in which people can thrive.” PeopleThinkingBelieveHas BeensStatesAbleNaturalGroupsTheoryDon't BelievePsychologicalThrive Author:Alix Kates Shulman
“Many people spend the ends of their lives alone, and probably a lot of years in the middle of their lives, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience the rewards of solitude.” PeopleYearsEndsOpportunityMiddleSolitudeRewardsGlad Author:Alix Kates Shulman
