“If Mumia Abu-Jamal has nothing important to say, why are so many powerful people trying to shut him up?” PeopleIfsTryingImportantPowerful Author:John Edgar Wideman
“Remember that a book is many drafts - mine certainly are. It's improvisation. It's as much jazz and the way we talk and the way I heard people preach coming up as it is writing.” PeopleWayWritingBookRememberHeardMinesJazzImprovisation Author:John Edgar Wideman
“I really dislike it when people talk about "experimental," because any good writer is experimental.” PeopleDislikeGood Writers Author:John Edgar Wideman
“My grandfather had asked me many times whether I'd like to come to South Carolina with him. He wanted to introduce me to our people down there and I didn't want to go. In those days, the South was still a place where black kids were lynched. Something horrible could happen to you. I've had that feeling my whole life.” PeopleWantStillsWholeFeelingsHappensKidsWantedBlackSouthWhole LifeHorribleIntroducingGrandfatherMy GrandfatherCarolinaSouth Carolina Author:John Edgar Wideman
“My mother loved my father. From my view, she let him get away with too much. It broke my heart to see him in an old people's home and stop being strong and lose his voice.” PeopleHeartHomeMotherFatherStrongVoiceLosesViewsToo MuchMy HeartBrokeGet AwayOld PeopleBroke My Heart Author:John Edgar Wideman
“There is no American history. There is no French history. There is no John Wideman. There are all these dreams that are floating around. People construct them and fight with them and criticize them, and the world goes on. I don't think the stars pay much attention.” PeopleThinkingWorldDreamFightingStarsPayAttentionGoes OnCriticizeAmerican HistoryConstructsFloating Author:John Edgar Wideman
“That's one of the beauties, I think, of African American life. There was this thing called slavery and adjustments were made. It literally destroyed millions, but it didn't destroy everybody and it didn't destroy the inner lives of all the people who experienced it.” PeopleThinkingMadeMillionsSlaveryDestroyedMade ItAfrican AmericanAdjustmentInner LifeAmerican Life Author:John Edgar Wideman
“I really dislike when people talk about "experimental," because any good writer is experimental. As a writer, you don't know what the hell you're doing. You're just doing it. You hope it works out well. I've been experimenting with these things myself in my own books.” PeopleBookHellWork OutDislike Author:John Edgar Wideman
“Books are an attempt to control something that's uncontrollable. That's one of the beauties of African American life. There was this thing called slavery and adjustments were made. It literally destroyed millions, but it didn't destroy the inner lives of all the people who experienced it. There are still horrible things that go on because of the myth of race, but we don't have to succumb totally. If I had only a negative side of things to present, I think I would have much less of a drive to do it. Because what would be the point?” PeopleThinkingBookNegativeSlaveryMythHorribleAfrican American Author:John Edgar Wideman
“Our thoughts, our language, are always at a distance from whatever they're trying to describe. We're dreamers and - since we only have one life, and if we screw up we can get in a world of trouble - we're very intense dreamers. That's the beauty and the terror of being human beings: We just have these symbolic languages, these dreams, and that's all it ever is. There is no American or Frenchhistory. There are all these dreams that are floating around. People construct them and fight with them and criticize them, and the world goes on. I don't think the stars pay much attention.” PeopleThinkingWorldTryingDreamFightingLanguageAttentionTroubleDistanceTerrorIntenseCriticizeDreamerBeing Human Author:John Edgar Wideman
