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Paule Marshall

Paule Marshall Quotes

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Paule Marshall is an American author known for her novels that often explore themes of race, gender, and social identity. Her most famous works include 'Praisesong for the Widow' and 'The Chosen Place, The Time'. Born on April 9, 1929, Marshall's writing has had a profound impact on contemporary literature.

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All Sometimes Darkness Has Beens Light Past Persons Running World America Anachronism

Famous Paule Marshall Quotes

“Sometimes a person has to go back, really back-to have a sense, an understanding of all that's gone to make them-before they can go forward.”

Persons Sometimes Past Understanding Gone Self Knowledge

Book:Reena and Other Stories

Source: Reena and Other Stories

“We live surrounded by white images, and white in this world is synonymous with the good, light, beauty, success, so that, despite ourselves sometimes, we run after that whiteness and deny our darkness, which has been made into the symbol of all that is evil and inferior.”

World Has Beens Made Sometimes Light Running Evil White Darkness This World Racism Deny Despite Symbols Inferiors Whiteness White Privilege

Book:Reena and Other Stories

Source: Reena and Other Stories

“I question whether I want to be integrated into America as it stands now, with its complacency and materialism, its soullessness.”

Want America United States Materialism Complacency Integrated

Book:Reena and Other Stories

Source: Reena and Other Stories

“But sometimes it's necessary to go back before you can go forward, really forward.”

Author:Paule Marshall

“Once a great wrong has been done, it never dies. People speak the words of peace, but their hearts do not forgive. Generations perform ceremonies of reconciliation but there is no end.”

People Heart Has Beens Ends Done Dies Speak Generations Forgiving Ceremony Reconciliation

Author:Paule Marshall

“A silenced Haiti has once again found its literary voice.”

Found Voice Haiti

Author:Paule Marshall

“A person can run for years but sooner or later he has to take a stand in the place which, for better or worse, he calls home, and do what he can to change things there.”

Years Persons Home Running Change Sooner Or Later

Book:Reena and Other Stories

Source: Reena and Other Stories

“Perhaps she was both child and woman, darkness and light, past and present, life and death - all the opposites contained and reconciled in her.”

Children Light Past Darkness Opposites Life And Death Light And Darkness Past And Present Present Life

Book:Reena and Other Stories

Source: Reena and Other Stories

“My very first lessons in the art of telling stories took place in the kitchen . . . my mother and three or four of her friends. . . told stories. . .with effortless art and technique. They were natural-born storytellers in the oral tradition.”

Firsts Art Stories Mother Three Born Natural Four Lessons Tradition Technique Storytelling Kitchen Storyteller Telling Stories Effortless Oral Tradition

Author:Paule Marshall

“I realise that it is fashionable now to dismiss the traditional novel as something of an anachronism, but to me it is still a vital form. Not only does it allow for the kind of full-blown, richly detailed writing that I love . . . but it permits me to operate on many levels and to explore both the inner state of my characters as well as the worlds beyond them.”

World Writing Wells Kind Doe Stills States Character Form Levels Novel Traditional Realising Permit Fashionable Anachronism

Author:Paule Marshall

About the Author

Born: April 9, 1929
Known for: Author
Quotes: 10

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Sometimes Darkness Has Beens Light Past Persons Running World America Anachronism

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

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Reena and Other StoriesRelated source material

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