Home / Authors / Raymond Carver

Raymond Carver Quotes

Writer

Raymond Carver was an influential American short story writer, born on May 25, 1938, and died on August 2, 1988. Known for his concise and straightforward style, his works have won the hearts of readers worldwide.

Filter quotes by topic

All Writing Knows Morning Ifs Littles Raymond Carver World Love Stories Feels Window Firsts Heart Minutes Poetry Talking Thinking Trying Way Fiction

Famous Raymond Carver Quotes

“But he stays by the window, remembering that life. They had laughed. They had leaned on each other and laughed until the tears had come, while everything else—the cold and where he'd go in it—was outside, for a while anyway.”

Remember Tears Cold Window Laughed

Book:Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories

Source: Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories

“It's possible, in a poem or short story, to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language, and to endow those things—a chair, a window curtain, a fork, a stone, a woman's earring—with immense, even startling power.”

Writing Stories Language Objects Stones Window Chairs Insightful Short Story Immense Precise Curtains Commonplace Forks Earrings

Book:Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories

Source: Fires: Essays, Poems, Stories

“That morning she pours Teacher's over my belly and licks it off. That afternoon she tries to jump out the window.”

Trying Morning Teacher Window Afternoon Belly

Book:Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories

Source: Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories

“But I can hardly sit still. I keep fidgeting, crossing one leg and then the other. I feel like I could throw off sparks, or break a window--maybe rearrange all the furniture.”

Feels Stills I Can Break Worry Anxiety Window Legs Sparks Furniture Crossings Fidgeting

Book:Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories

Source: Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories

“Woke up this morning with a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read. Fought against it for a minute. Then looked out the window at the rain. And gave over. Put myself entirely in the keep of this rainy morning. Would I live my life over again? Make the same unforgivable mistakes? Yes, given half a chance. Yes.”

Lying Given Chance Mistake Half Morning Minutes Bed Rain Window Urges Living My Life Terrific Rainy I Live My Life Unforgivable

Book:All of Us: The Collected Poems

Source: All of Us: The Collected Poems

About the Author

Born: May 25, 1938
Died: August 2, 1988
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 104

Books & Sources

Where I'm Calling From: Selected StoriesRelated source material

All of Us: The Collected PoemsRelated source material

What We Talk About When We Talk About LoveRelated source material

CathedralRelated source material

Call If You Need Me: The Uncollected Fiction and Other ProseRelated source material

Conversations with Raymond CarverRelated source material

Fires: Essays, Poems, StoriesRelated source material

Elephant and other storiesRelated source material

Where I'm Calling From: New and Selected StoriesRelated source material

Where Water Comes Together with Other Water: PoemsRelated source material

Similar Authors

George SaundersBrowse related quotes
Stephen KingBrowse related quotes
William ZinsserBrowse related quotes
Natalie GoldbergBrowse related quotes
Flannery O'ConnorBrowse related quotes
Elmore LeonardBrowse related quotes
Ray BradburyBrowse related quotes
Ernest HemingwayBrowse related quotes
Philip GerardBrowse related quotes
Paul AusterBrowse related quotes