“I don't write books because I have answers. I write books because I have questions. What we are is the questions that we ask, not the answers that we provide. It's all about the process of self-examination. I think that's what the best writing always contains.” ThinkingWritingBookSelfAsksProcessAnswersExaminationSelf-examination Author:John Edgar Wideman
“As a reader, I do not like to have everything handed to me. Because after a while it gets formulaic and I'm thinking, "If this is so thought through, then why do I need to read it. It's done!" It becomes a beach book at a certain point.” IfsThinkingNeedsBookDoneCertainReaderBeach Author:John Edgar Wideman
“When I'm writing, I'm thinking, "Well, this might be a book that I'll always be happy with, and certainly readers will be happy with." But another part of me knows that when I'm past the stage of writing, the book is gonna have good things about it, bad things about it - probably more bad than good. I just know that. That's who I am.” ThinkingKnowsWritingWellsBookMightPastStageReaderGood ThingsWho I AmBad ThingsAlways Be Happy 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
“I'm still divided in my principles and what I think is right and what I'm actually able to do, whether talking about writing or being a citizen or being a husband or being a father. And I'm trying to get better.” ThinkingWritingTryingStillsAbleFatherTalkingPrinciplesCitizensHusbandGet BetterDividedBeing A Father 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
“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?” IfsThinkingWould BeSidesNegative 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
