“Even in my adult years, when I heard a white person speaking in a Southern accent I was initially suspicious.” Quote by John Edgar Wideman
“I had a deep prejudice against the South. It's taken me many years to get over that, be more open and thoughtful.” YearsTakenPrejudiceSouthThoughtfulGet Over Author:John Edgar Wideman
“To be a survivor as an African American man - maybe any man - you have to be pretty tough. Or at least that's what we all understand.” MenToughAfrican AmericanSurvivor Author:John Edgar Wideman
“You have to be a minor superhero just to get to be a dignified man, and that's kind of exacerbated for men of color.” MenKindColorMinorsSuperhero Author:John Edgar Wideman
“My father combined many of the elements that were feared in the culture, but also he was a warm figure, a figure we needed. We depended on him to give us a little bit of strength and courage.” GivingLittlesCultureFatherBitsFiguresNeededElementsLittle BitWarm Author:John Edgar Wideman
“My mother loved my father. From my view, she let him get away with too much. It broke my heart to see him in an old people's home and stop being strong and lose his voice.” PeopleHeartHomeMotherFatherStrongVoiceLosesViewsToo MuchMy HeartBrokeGet AwayOld PeopleBroke My Heart Author:John Edgar Wideman
“That split is inside all Americans. There are contradictions inside all of us about color and race. We've learned to cover them up and live with them and pretend that deep cleavage is not there. We all bear that illness.” RaceColorBearsIllnessContradictionSplitsCleavage Author:John Edgar Wideman
“I'm not a fearful person, but I'm a pretty pessimistic person. So some of my best times are waiting, anticipating. That's the way it always has been with me, whether anticipating a ball game, anticipating a relationship.” WayPersonsHas BeensGamesWaitingBallsFearfulPessimisticBest TimesBall Games Author:John Edgar Wideman
“I get off on anticipating and waiting much more than I get off on the actual event.” WaitingEvents Author:John Edgar Wideman
“When I'm writing, I'm thinking, "Well, this might be a book that I'll always be happy with, and certainly readers will be happy with." But another part of me knows that when I'm past the stage of writing, the book is gonna have good things about it, bad things about it - probably more bad than good. I just know that. That's who I am.” ThinkingKnowsWritingWellsBookMightPastStageReaderGood ThingsWho I AmBad ThingsAlways Be Happy Author:John Edgar Wideman