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William Faulkner

William Faulkner Quotes

Writer

William Faulkner, an American writer born on September 25, 1897, and died on July 6, 1962. Known for his unique narrative techniques and profound descriptions of Southern society and history, Faulkner is considered one of the great novelists of the 20th century.

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Famous William Faulkner Quotes

“With me, a story usually begins with a single idea or mental picture. The writing of the story is simply a matter of working up to that moment, to explain why it happened or what caused it to follow.”

Writing Ideas Matter Moments Stories Fiction Happened That Moment

Author:William Faulkner

“Man knows so little about his fellows. In his eyes all men or women act upon what he believes would motivate him if he were mad enough to do what the other man or woman is doing.”

Ifs Knows Men Believe Littles Enough Eye Fellows Mad His Eyes

Author:William Faulkner

“Hemingway shot himself. I don't like a man that takes the short way home.”

Men Way Home Shots Suicide Way Home

Author:William Faulkner

“What's wrong with this world is, it's not finished yet. It is not completed to that point where man can put his final signature to the job and say, "It is finished. We made it, and it works.”

Men World Made Jobs This World Finals Finished Made It Signatures

Book:Essays, Speeches & Public Letters

Source: Essays, Speeches & Public Letters

“My ideal job? Landlord of a bordello! The company's good and the mornings are quiet, which is the best time to write.”

Writing Jobs Company Morning Quiet Ideals Best Times Landlord

Author:William Faulkner

“If we Americans are to survive it will have to be because we choose and elect and defend to be first of all Americans; to present to the world one homogeneous and unbroken front, whether of white Americans or black ones or purple or blue or green... If we in America have reached that point in our desperate culture when we must murder children, no matter for what reason or what color, we don't deserve to survive, and probably won't.”

Ifs World Firsts Children Matter Reason America Culture Black White Fronts Color Deserve Murder Blue Green Desperate Purple Unbroken Homogeneous

Author:William Faulkner

“It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there will still be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking.”

Men Stills Enough Lasts Easy Sound Voice Talking Rocks Dying Red Endure Evening Immortal Worthless Doom Faded

Author:William Faulkner

“I learned little save that most of the deeds, good and bad both, incurring opprobrium or plaudits or reward either, within the scope of man's abilities, had already been performed and were to be learned about only from books.”

Men Littles Book Reading Ability Rewards Deeds Scope Good And Bad Book Reading Incurring

Book:Absalom, Absalom!, typescript setting copy and miscellaneous material

Source: Absalom, Absalom!, typescript setting copy and miscellaneous material

“I think that-that anyone, the painter, the musician, the writer works in a-a kind of an-an insane fury. He's demon-driven. He can get up feeling rotten, with a hangover, or with-with actual pain, and-and if he gets to work, the first thing he knows, he don't remember that pain, that hangover-he's too busy.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Firsts Kind Feelings Pain Remember Musician Busy Driven Insane Painter Get Up Demon Fury Rotten Too Busy Hangover

Author:William Faulkner

About the Author

Born: September 25, 1897
Died: July 6, 1962
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 509

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Books & Sources

Light in AugustRelated source material

FAULKNER READERRelated source material

As I Lay DyingRelated source material

The Sound And The FuryRelated source material

Absalom, Absalom!Related source material

William Faulkner, Eugene O'Neill [and] John SteinbeckRelated source material

Novels, 1930-1935Related source material

Essays, Speeches & Public LettersRelated source material

The Sound and the Fury (Third International Edition) (Norton Critical Editions)Related source material

Go Down, MosesRelated source material

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