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T.C. Boyle

T.C. Boyle Quotes

Novelist

T.C. Boyle is a renowned American contemporary novelist, born on December 2, 1948. His works are characterized by unique narrative techniques and rich imagination, covering a variety of themes including history, science fiction, and realism. Boyle's novels have won numerous literary awards and he is an important representative of American literature today.

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All Stories Writing Thinking Ifs Book Knows Literature Way Art Courses Ends Firsts Mean Novel Reading Fiction I Can Manic Moving Reader

Famous T.C. Boyle Quotes

“I think if you read all my books you know where I stand, pretty much. You could probably give the reader a questionnaire and they could figure out what I'm about. But I don't think my job is to tell you that.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Giving Book Jobs Figures Reader Questionnaires

Author:T.C. Boyle

“I've had many students over the years, sometimes even very sophisticated students, who will be writing and will hit a wall. Often I find it's because they're working out of sequence. Maybe some people can do that, but I don't think that's how fiction works. It's a discovery.”

People Thinking Writing Years Sometimes Can Do Fiction Students Wall Discovery Work Out Working It Sophisticated Sequence

Author:T.C. Boyle

“You don't write the kitchen scene just because you're eager to do it that day and you're avoiding something else. I think it has to move slowly, step by step. I pride myself on the construction of my stories but it's not something I impose on them.”

Thinking Writing Stories Moving Steps Pride Scene Kitchen Construction Avoiding

Author:T.C. Boyle

“Work saved me. Literature saved me. It sounds corny but it's absolutely true. I was going in the wrong direction, but after the 9,000th night at the bar doing dope with a bunch of Dead Heads, I began to think there was something more.”

Thinking Night Literature Sound Saved Bars Bunch Corny Dope Wrong Direction

Author:T.C. Boyle

“I'm a product of state schools. I had a working-class family. We had no books. I was the first to go to college. But I didn't really think about it, or about making money. I was just going to be an artist, and I've been fortunate. I've never had to work for anybody nor have I had to write for money. Maybe that's another reason that I've been able to be productive. I haven't had to use my writing to make a living.”

Thinking Writing Firsts Book States Reason Use Able School Artist Class Havens College Products Making Money Fortunate Productive Working Class

Author:T.C. Boyle

“Work ethic and this determination is all part of escaping the depressive side. Of course I'm manic depressive, maybe not to the degree that Exley was, but I think all writers are. There are highs and lows. Look at David Foster Wallace.”

Thinking Looks Courses Sides Degrees Lows Ethics Determination Work Ethic Escaping Manic Highs And Lows Depressive

Author:T.C. Boyle

“From my point of view, why shouldn't I work in every possible mode, to see if it's viable? "Los Gigantes" would not have worked as a straightforward, naturalistic tale. Part of the fun of it is that it's so preposterous and yet at the same time, it could have happened. Think of eugenics. Hitler certainly would have been doing it if he could have.”

Ifs Thinking Has Beens Fun Views Happened Point Of View Tales Straightforward Eugenics

Author:T.C. Boyle

“I think it's a great thing to hear the author reading. I've listened to CDs of Cheever and Updike reading their stories and Hemingway. To hear what their voices were like is amazing. Whether they're reading well or not, it's great to listen to the intonation and the beat of the guy who wrote the story.”

Thinking Wells Stories Guy Reading Voice Beats Great Things Cds Intonation

Author:T.C. Boyle

“I have many enemies and they all think I'm being highfalutin calling it performance, but the word "reading" has a connotation of something academic with the lights on and you're going to get a lecture. I'm looking to blow my audiences away by giving a fine, dramatic performance and reminding them of why they love stories.”

Thinking Giving Stories Light Reading Enemy Audience Fine Calling Performances Blow Love Story Dramatic Academic Lectures Reminding Connotation

Author:T.C. Boyle

“Music is, by far, the best art. Nothing even comes close. It's so immediate and emotional. In writing, maybe ninety percent of it is the unconscious and ten percent is control. In music, I think it's probably more like ninety-nine percent the unconscious. It's just a beautiful thing happening through you. And so, too, is writing a great story.”

Thinking Writing Art Stories Beautiful Emotional Ten Music Is Happenings Percent Things Happen Nine Unconscious Beautiful Things Ninety Ninety Nine Best Art

Author:T.C. Boyle

“I go around with my books so much and I love to perform on stage, to remind everybody that the lights are off, the phones are off, and for this hour, it's going to be like your mother reading to you. We're going to remember why we love stories. I think that gets lost in over-intellectualizing.”

Thinking Book Stories Light Remember Mother Reading Lost Hours Stage Like You Phones Love Story

Author:T.C. Boyle

“Criticism can be wonderful, especially in making connections in an interpretive way. But by applying theories randomly, it's an interesting exercise, but I don't think it illuminates the literature.”

Thinking Way Literature Interesting Wonderful Theory Exercise Criticism Connections

Author:T.C. Boyle

“I don't think we need a critic to negotiate with the audience. People say, "Who are you writing for?" I'm writing for myself but my audience is anybody who knows how to read. I think a story should engage anybody who knows how to read. And I hope that my stories do, maybe on a different level for more sophisticated readers than, say, a high school kid, but still a story has got to grab you. That's why we read it.”

People Thinking Knows Needs Should Writing Stills Different Stories Kids School Levels Audience Know How Reader High School Critics Sophisticated Different Levels

Author:T.C. Boyle

About the Author

Born: December 2, 1948
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 71

Related Topics

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Books & Sources

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Stories II: The Collected Stories of T. Coraghessan Boyle, Volume IIRelated source material

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