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Richard Ford Quotes

Novelist

Richard Ford, born on February 16, 1944, is a renowned American novelist. His works are known for their delicate emotional descriptions and profound thematic explorations, with notable titles such as 'Independence Day' and 'The Lay of the Land'.

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Famous Richard Ford Quotes

“I'm trying to cause people to be interested in the particulars of their lives because I think that's one thing literature can do for us. It can say to us: pay attention. Pay closer attention. Pay stricter attention to what you say to your son.”

People Thinking Trying Literature Causes Can Do Pay Attention One Thing Son Pay Attention Your Son

Author:Richard Ford

“I think that's the thing that memoir can do more than anything it does; it testifies and bears witness to the existence of people whose lives, pleasures and virtues would never have been testified to without my having done it. That makes me really glad.”

People Thinking Done Pleasure Existence Virtue Glad Memoir Witness

Author:Richard Ford

“I want saner gun laws. I think all these automatic weapons should be banned, big clips and handguns should be banned. As far as I'm concerned, shotguns and hunting weapons are all that we should allow in America.”

Thinking Gun Concerned Hunting

Author:Richard Ford

“Some people think that writers are innately solitary and that there's a kind of romance to that solitariness. I tend to think that what writers really want to do is get accepted into things. They want to get accepted into society, into culture, into intelligentsia, into the fun. Writing is their mechanism, their instrument, for doing that.”

People Thinking Writing Kind Romance Culture Fun Accepted Solitary

Author:Richard Ford

“Even though I get a lot done with my solitude, and I make the best use of it possible, I always think solitude is an interlude in a period of time, which is populated by others.”

Thinking Done Solitude

Author:Richard Ford

“Someone wanted me to write a profile for ESPN about the commissioner of baseball, and I said, "He's just some suit! Some Republican. No!" I mean if you want me to write about baseball, boxing or football, I'll write about those things because I watch them, I think about them a lot and I like them. But I don't want to write about Barry Bonds.”

Thinking Writing Mean Football Republican Baseball Boxing Want Me Profile You Want Me If You Want Me

Author:Richard Ford

“For a time after my divorce everything began to seem profoundly ironic to me. I found myself thinking of other peoples' worries as sources of amusement and private derision which I thought about at night to make myself feel better.”

Thinking Feels Seems Night Found Worry Source Divorce Ironic Feel Better Amusement Derision Thinking Of Others

Book:The Bascombe Novels: The Sportswriter, Independence Day, The Lay of the Land

Source: The Bascombe Novels: The Sportswriter, Independence Day, The Lay of the Land

“It's interesting to leave a place, interesting even to think about it. Leaving reminds us of what we can part with and what we can't, then offers us something new to look forward to, to dream about.”

Thinking Looks Dream Interesting Offers Leaving Something New Retirement Farewell

Author:Richard Ford

“When you are sixteen you do not know what your parents know, or much of what they understand, and less of what's in their hearts. This can save you from becoming an adult too early, save your life from becoming only theirs lived over again--which is a loss. But to shield yourself--as I didn't do--seems to be an even greater error, since what's lost is the truth of your parents' life and what you should think about it, and beyond that, how you should estimate the world you are about to live in.”

Thinking Knows World Should Heart Seems Lost Parent Loss Greater Becoming Adults Errors Shields Sixteen Becoming An Adult

Book:Wildlife

Source: Wildlife

“Marry somebody you love and who thinks you being a writer's a good idea.”

Thinking Ideas Good Ideas

Author:Richard Ford

“And I think that in myself (and perhaps evident in what I write) fear of loss and the corresponding instinct to protect myself against loss are potent forces.”

Thinking Writing Force Fear Loss Protect Instinct Evident Corresponding

Author:Richard Ford

“I think once you love somebody, you love somebody; that's just how it is.”

Thinking

Author:Richard Ford

“In order to write novels for a living - it's not pathological, but I do think and worry and brood and fidget about stuff that I'm working on.”

Thinking Writing Order Stuff Worry Novel

Author:Richard Ford

About the Author

Born: February 16, 1944
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 128

Books & Sources

CanadaRelated source material

The SportswriterRelated source material

The Bascombe Novels: The Sportswriter, Independence Day, The Lay of the LandRelated source material

The Lay of the LandRelated source material

A Multitude of SinsRelated source material

Independence DayRelated source material

A Piece of My HeartRelated source material

Let Me Be Frank With YouRelated source material

Rock SpringsRelated source material

The Sportswriter: Bascombe Trilogy (1)Related source material

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