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Ann Patchett

Ann Patchett Quotes

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Ann Patchett, born on December 2, 1963, is a renowned American author. Her works are known for their profound character development and engaging storytelling, earning her numerous literary awards and the admiration of readers worldwide.

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All Writing People Ifs Thinking Book Want Persons Knows Way World Two Giving Novel Reading Should Trying Art Sleep Fiction Kind

Famous Ann Patchett Quotes

“You see an absolutely brilliant film later, as an adult, and you walk out thinking about what to have for dinner. Whereas something like Jaws winds up having a huge effect on me. If only my parents had been taking me to Kurosawa films when I was eight, but no.”

Ifs Thinking Film Parent Walks Effects Wind Huge Adults Eight Dinner Brilliant Kurosawa

Author:Ann Patchett

“People seem able to love their dogs with an unabashed acceptance that they rarely demonstrate with family or friends. The dogs do not disappointment them, or, if they do, the owners manages to forget about it quickly. I want to learn to love people like this, the way I love my dog, with pride and enthusiasm and a complete amnesia for faults. In short, to love others the way my dog loves me.”

People Ifs Way Want Seems Able Forget Dog Acceptance Pride Faults Disappointment Manage Enthusiasm Owners My Dog Amnesia Dog Love I Love My Dog Love My Dog

Author:Ann Patchett

“Sometimes if there's a book you really want to read, you have to write it yourself.”

Ifs Want Writing Book Sometimes

Author:Ann Patchett

“If you want to write and can't figure out how to do it, try this: Pick an amount of time to sit at your desk every day. Start with twenty minutes, say, and work up as quickly as possible to as much time as you can spare. Do you really want to write? Sit for two hours a day.”

Ifs Want Writing Trying Two Hours Minutes Figures Amount Picks Twenties Desks Spares

Book:This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage

Source: This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage

“If a person has never given writing a try, they assume that a brilliant idea is hard to come by. But really, even if it takes some digging, ideas are out there. Just open your eyes and look at the world. Writing the ideas down, it turns out, is the real trick.”

Ifs World Writing Trying Looks Persons Ideas Real Hard Eye Turns Given Assuming Brilliant Tricks Digging Brilliant Ideas

Author:Ann Patchett

“I have been accused of being a Pollyanna, but I think there are plenty of people dealing with the darker side of human nature, and if I am going to write about people who are kind and generous and loving and thoughtful, so what? In my life I have met astonishingly good people.”

People Ifs Thinking Writing Humans Kind Has Beens Sides Human Nature Mets Plenty Generous Thoughtful Good People Accused Darker Side Pollyanna

Author:Ann Patchett

“I have seven step-siblings from my mother's second and third marriages. My degree of closeness to my step-siblings varies among the seven but I have a great sense of loyalty to all of them, especially the four from my childhood. If those people needed my help I would be there for them.”

People Ifs Helping Would Be Mother Steps Four Childhood Needed Degrees Thirds Seven Loyalty Sibling Vary Closeness

Author:Ann Patchett

“I know where I'm going. And if I don't know where I'm going, I don't tend to get anywhere.”

Author:Ann Patchett

“I think, if you want to grow a novelist, for that person to have a lot of boring time trying to entertain themselves is very important.”

Ifs Thinking Want Trying Persons Important Grows Boring Novelists

Author:Ann Patchett

“If I was a waitress, I was too tired at the end of the day when I came home to try to write.”

Ifs Writing Trying Ends Home Tired The End Of The Day Waitress

Author:Ann Patchett

“When you get divorced and remarried, nobody gets discarded. Everybody is still there. Even if their storyline is not directly yours.”

Ifs Stills Divorced Discarded Storyline

Author:Ann Patchett

“If anybody had shown me the paperwork for how my life was going to look in five years, I would have said, "No. That is not where I want to go."”

Ifs Want Years Looks Said Five Five Years Paperwork

Author:Ann Patchett

“If I had problems, I kept them to myself. I didn't make a scene.”

Ifs Problem Scene

Author:Ann Patchett

“If what we want to do is promote reading and writing and publishing and making sure this is a business that keeps going - because it is a business! It's not just an art - then we have to take responsibility. I get sort of crazy and frothy when I think about this. It really matters.”

Ifs Thinking Want Writing Art Matter Reading Responsibility Crazy Keep Going Publishing Taking Responsibility Reading And Writing

Author:Ann Patchett

“I was starting to wonder if I was ready to be a writer, not someone who won prizes, got published and was given the time and space to work, but someone who wrote as a course of life. Maybe writing wouldn't have any rewards. Maybe the salvation I would gain through work would only be emotional and intellectual. Wouldn't that be enough, to be a waitress who found an hour or two hidden in every day to write?”

Ifs Writing Two Enough Courses Found Given Hours Space Wonder Emotional Ready Intellectual Gains Salvation Rewards Starting Prize Time And Space Waitress Course Of Life

Author:Ann Patchett

“It makes you wonder. All the brilliant things we might have done with our lives if only we suspected we knew how.”

Ifs Done Might Wonder Our Lives Brilliant

Author:Ann Patchett

“The timing of the electrical failure seemed dramatic and perfectly correct, as if the lights had said, "You have no need for sight. Listen.”

Ifs Needs Said Light Sight Dramatic Timing Electrical

Book:Bel Canto

Source: Bel Canto

“The secret is to keep adding voices, adding ideas, and moving things around as you put together your life. If you’re lucky, putting together your life is a process that will last through every single day you’re alive.”

Ifs Ideas Together Lasts Moving Life Is Process Voice Secret Alive Lucky

Book:What Now?

Source: What Now?

“If what a person wants is his life, he tends to be quiet about wanting anything else. Once the life begins to seem secure, one feels the freedom to complain.”

Ifs Want Feels Persons Seems Quiet Complaining Secure

Author:Ann Patchett

“If you're trying to find out what's coming next, turn off everything you own that has an OFF switch and listen.”

Ifs Trying Turns Next Turn Off

Book:What Now?

Source: What Now?

“She sang as if she was saving the life of every person in the room.”

Ifs Persons Rooms Saving

Author:Ann Patchett

“No one tells the truth to people they don't actually know, and if they do it is a horrible trait. Everyone wants something smaller, something neater than the truth.”

People Ifs Knows Want Horrible Telling The Truth Traits Want Something

Book:State of Wonder

Source: State of Wonder

“If you've had good gin on a hot day in Southern California with the people you love, you forget Nebraska. The two things cannot coexist. The stronger, better of the two wins.”

People Ifs Two Winning Forget Love You Stronger Hot California Two Things Southern Gin Coexist Nebraska Southern California Hot Days

Book:The Best Contemporary Women's Fiction: Six Novels

Source: The Best Contemporary Women's Fiction: Six Novels

“For the most part wisdom comes in chips rather than blocks. You have to be willing to gather them constantly, and from sources you never imagined to be probable. No one chip gives you the answer for everything. No one chip stays in the same place throughout your entire life. The secret is to keep adding voices, adding ideas, and moving things around as you put together your life. If you’re lucky, putting together your life is a process that will last through every single day you’re alive.”

Ifs Giving Ideas Together Lasts Moving Life Is Process Voice Answers Secret Alive Willing Source Lucky Block Chips

Author:Ann Patchett

“Praise and criticism seem to me to operate exactly on the same level. If you get a great review, it's really thrilling for about ten minutes. If you get a bad review, it's really crushing for ten minutes. Either way, you go on.”

Ifs Way Seems Levels Minutes Goes On Ten Criticism Praise Crush Reviews Thrilling Bad Reviews Criticism And Praise

Author:Ann Patchett

“If someone loves you for what you can do then it's flattering, but why do you love them? If someone loves you for who you are then they have to know you, which means you have to know them.”

Ifs Knows Mean Can Do Love You Who You Are One Love Flattering

Author:Ann Patchett

“When well told, a story captured the subtle movement of change. If a novel was a map of a country, a story was the bright silver pin that marked the crossroads.”

Ifs Wells Country Stories Novel Movement Subtle Silver Maps Pins Captured Crossroads

Author:Ann Patchett

About the Author

Born: December 2, 1963
Known for: Author
Quotes: 244

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Books & Sources

This Is the Story of a Happy MarriageRelated source material

State of WonderRelated source material

Bel CantoRelated source material

The Dutch HouseRelated source material

CommonwealthRelated source material

Tom LakeRelated source material

RunRelated source material

The Patron Saint of LiarsRelated source material

These Precious Days: EssaysRelated source material

Truth and Beauty: A FriendshipRelated source material

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