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Tennessee Williams Quotes

Playwright

American playwright, renowned for his profound psychological portrayals and unique dramatic style. His notable works include 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'The Glass Menagerie'.

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Famous Tennessee Williams Quotes

“I think no more than a week after I started writing I ran into the first block. It's hard to describe it in a way that will be understandable to anyone who is not a neurotic.”

Thinking Way Writing Firsts Hard Week Block Ran Neurotic

Book:Sweet Bird of Youth

Source: Sweet Bird of Youth

“Marriage is an economic arrangement in many ways, let's face it.”

Way Faces Marriage Economic Arrangements

Book:The Theatre of Tennessee Williams

Source: The Theatre of Tennessee Williams

“I don't believe in villains or heroes, only in right or wrong ways that individuals are taken, not by choice, but by necessity or by certain still uncomprehended influences in themselves, their circumstances and their antecedents.”

Way Believe Stills Certain Choices Individual Taken Influence Hero Circumstances Don't Believe Villain Wrong Way

Book:New Selected Essays: Where I Live

Source: New Selected Essays: Where I Live

“The world is a funny paper read backwards. And that way it isn't so funny.”

World Way Paper Backwards

Book:New Selected Essays: Where I Live

Source: New Selected Essays: Where I Live

“I can find almost anything funny, thank God, so you search for the black, lacy slip that encases the corpse. You know, shift the angle. God may take away, but he often leaves you with a terrific opening line for the next adventure. I would suggest taking it. Move on; change the angle; look at it in a different way tomorrow.”

Knows Way Looks May I Can Different Moving Next Black Lines Adventure Tomorrow Opening Different Ways Thank God Slips Angle Terrific Corpses Next Adventure

Author:Tennessee Williams

“I'm tired and it's taking an increasing amount out of me, more than I have to give physically. And that's why I want to move to Sicily and buy that little farm and raise a flock of goats and geese. I find it peaceful ... and it would be a nice way to end life.”

Way Want Giving Littles Ends Would Be Moving Nice Amount Raises Tired Peaceful Farms Flocks Goats Geese I'm Tired

Author:Tennessee Williams

“It's to a writer's advantage to contain within himself elements of each sex, or any sex. It's to his advantage because it makes him able to write from the female point of view as well as the male. In some cases, of course, you will find some homosexual writers who can only write from a f - - -'s point of view. But I don't regard myself as a f - - -! Some people may. Also audiences wanted escapism. They don't like too much protest or criticism of their way of life.”

People Way Writing Wells May Able Wanted Courses Sex Views Cases Audience Too Much Elements Advantage Female Criticism Regard Males Point Of View Protest Homosexual Escapism

Author:Tennessee Williams

“When I was fourteen, my father decided to initiate me into the ways of manhood, and took me to the local whorehouse. The woman spread her legs, and made me look between them. All I could see was something that looked like a dyin' orchid; consequently, I have never been comfortable around women or orchids.”

Way Looks Made Father Comfortable Decided Legs Spread Locals Manhood Fourteen Initiate Orchids

Author:Tennessee Williams

“We all live in a house on fire, no fire department to call; no way out, just the upstairs window to look out of while the fire burns the house down with us trapped, locked in it.”

Way Looks House Fire Window Crisis Department Locked Trapped Upstairs One Tree Hill Voiceover One Tree Hill Opening Fire Department Leavers

Book:The Theatre of Tennessee Williams: The milk train doesn't stop here anymore. Kingdom of Earth (The seven descents of Myrtle). Small craft warnings. The two-character play

Source: The Theatre of Tennessee Williams: The milk train doesn't stop here anymore. Kingdom of Earth (The seven descents of Myrtle). Small craft warnings. The two-character play

“Mendacity is a system that we live in," declares Brick. "Liquor is one way out an'death's the other.”

Way One Way Bricks Liquor Mendacity Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Author:Tennessee Williams

“And it was about then, about that time, that I began to find life unsatisfactory as an explanation of itself and was forced to adopt the method of the artist of not explaining but putting the blocks together in some other way that seems more significant to him. Which is a rather fancy way of saying I started writing.”

Way Writing Seems Together Artist Method Significant Block Explanation Fancy Explaining

Book:Collected Stories

Source: Collected Stories

“Friends are God's way of apologizing to us for our families”

Way Our Family Apologizing

Author:Tennessee Williams

“I don't believe in "original sin." I don't believe in "guilt." I don't believe in villains or heroes - only right or wrong ways that individuals have taken, not by choice but by necessity or by certain still-uncomprehended influences in themselves, their circumstances, and their antecedents. This is so simple I'm ashamed to say it, but I'm sure it's true. In fact, I would bet my life on it! And that's why I don't understand why our propaganda machines are always trying to teach us, to persuade us, to hate and fear other people on the same little world that we live in.”