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Tom Bodett Biography

Author

Tom Bodett, born on February 23, 1955, is an American author known for his humor and wit. His work, particularly his poetry and prose for the radio program 'Morning Edition' on NPR, has gained him widespread recognition.

Life School Lessons

Author:Tom Bodett

“Americans are generally very self-sufficient and I think generally averse to pretension, just as I am.”

Thinking Self Sufficient Pretension Self Sufficient

Author:Tom Bodett

“Mine is not a story to tell struggling writers.”

Stories Struggle Mines

Author:Tom Bodett

“Like most Alaska immigrants, my roots continue to petition for equal time.”

Equal Roots Immigrants Alaska Petitions

Author:Tom Bodett

“That's what the American odyssey is really about: Leaving home. Leaving home and coming home, and trying to understand the difference.”

Trying Home Differences Leaving Coming Home Odyssey Leaving Home

Author:Tom Bodett

“In the America I see from here, anything is possible - especially the impossible.”

America Impossible Anything Is Possible

Author:Tom Bodett

“The media is in the business of finding exceptions to everyday life. Bad things are still the exception. That's good, because once bad things stop being news, we really are in trouble. If people forget that bad is the exception, they think they live in a horrible world. There is so much that works and is right and friendly and warm. But we take that for granted.”

People Ifs Thinking World Stills Forget Trouble Media Findings News Everyday Warm Horrible Granted Exception Friendly Bad Things Everyday Life

Author:Tom Bodett

“In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.”

“The difference between an optimist and a pessimist? An optimist laughs to forget, but a pessimist forgets to laugh.”

Inspirational Funny Differences Forget Laughing Comparison Optimist Funny Inspirational Pessimist

Author:Tom Bodett

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.”

Source: As Far As You Can Go Without a Passport: The View from the End of the Road : Comments and Comic Pieces

“I come from very common stock, and I've always been uncomfortable with pretension and all the forms it can take, including disingenuous broadcasting.”

Form Common Including Uncomfortable Pretension Broadcasting Disingenuous

Author:Tom Bodett

“I'm not an impersonator. I've only got one voice and only do one guy and his first-person essays.”

Firsts Persons Guy Voice Essays First Person Impersonators

Author:Tom Bodett

“It's not like Alaska isn't wilderness - it mostly is. But most Alaskans don't live in the wild. They live on the edge of the wild in towns with schools and cable TV and stores and dentists and roller rinks sometimes. It's just like anyplace else, only with mountains and moose.”

Sometimes School Tvs Mountain Towns Edges Stores Wilderness Cables Alaska Dentist Moose Cable Tv Alaskans

Author:Tom Bodett

“You can make a new friend but you can't make an old one.”

New Friends New Friendship

Author:Tom Bodett

“Professor Al Drake encouraged me to just write the way I talk. I decided if that's what I needed to do, I didn't need to be in school to do it.”

Ifs Way Needs Writing School Needed Decided Als Professors

Author:Tom Bodett

“For some people, you know, Garrison Keillor, Rush Limbaugh, really the stars, they've got a passion. They eat, drink and breathe radio, and I'm not like that. I used to think I wanted to be. But I need to be away from it, too, and that's the difference, I think.”

People Thinking Knows Needs Wanted Used Passion Stars Differences Drink Radio Breathe

Author:Tom Bodett

“I'm happy to report you still get nothing you don't need at Motel 6, and, therefore, you don't have to pay for it. I don't need valet parking. If I can drive the old crate 300 miles to the hotel all by myself, I can certainly handle the last nine feet to the parking space.”

Ifs Needs Stills I Can Lasts Space Pay Feet Miles Nine Handle Reports Hotel Parking Motels Valet Parking Space

Author:Tom Bodett

“I'm real. I believe what I'm saying. If Motel 6 wasn't the type of operation they say it is - and I stay at them when I travel - I wouldn't do their commercials. That comes through on the radio, and that's what it's all about.”

Ifs Believe Real I Believe Type Radio Operations Motels

Author:Tom Bodett

“Kids in Alaska don't know they're growing up on the Last Frontier. It's just what they see on the license plates, and it's something tourists like to say a lot because they've never been around so many mountains and moose before.”

Knows Kids Lasts Growing Up Growing Mountain Plates License Frontiers Tourists Alaska Moose License Plate

Author:Tom Bodett

“People feel vulnerable when they travel. Nobody wants to be taken advantage of or talked into something they don't want. Staying at Motel 6 makes you feel smarter. In fact, I think it actually means you are smarter, but I have no hard data to support that.”

People Thinking Want Feels Mean Hard Facts Support Taken Advantage Vulnerable Data Staying Smarter Taken Advantage Motels

Author:Tom Bodett

“Somebody says, 'Do a Tom Bodett, a folksy kind of thing,' and it sounds like something out of 'Hee Haw,' very insulting. They turn wry humor into disparaging sarcasm, and you get what amounts to insulting advertising.”

Kind Turns Sound Amount Advertising Sarcasm Toms Insulting Like Something Wry Disparaging Hee Haw

Author:Tom Bodett

“Tom Kizzia hasn't just observed and written about Alaska for three-plus decades, he's lived it. 'Pilgrim's Wilderness' is a story that needed to be told by the only man who could tell it.”

Men Stories Three Written Needed Decades Wilderness Plus Toms Alaska Pilgrim

Author:Tom Bodett

About the Author

Born: February 23, 1955
Known for: Author
Quotes: 22

Books & Sources

As Far As You Can Go Without a Passport: The View from the End of the Road : Comments and Comic PiecesRelated source material

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