“I have a great memory. And actually, I remember Russia in some ways better than I remember Queens.” WayRememberMemoriesRussiaQueensGreat Memories Author:Gary Shteyngart
“I have some memories of certain things that happened in high school when I was stoned out of my mind, but I talked with other people about them, and I trusted the aggregated memories.” PeopleMindSchoolCertainMemoriesHappenedHigh SchoolTrustedOf My Mind Author:Gary Shteyngart
“The memoirs I love are all very intense. If you're going to do a memoir and protect yourself, what the hell's the point? Just do fiction.” IfsFictionHellProtectIntenseMemoirProtect Yourself Author:Gary Shteyngart
“Vodka is a wonderful drink. You can drink so much of it without being as hung over as you would if you were drinking one of the brown liquors - the whiskeys and such. It's a great drink to go with appetizers.” IfsWonderfulDrinkDrinkingBrownHungWhiskeyLiquorVodkaAppetizers Author:Gary Shteyngart
“Russia tried to introduce beer as kind of the new vodka - and it's working with younger people in major cities - but you can have ten shots of vodka and be perfectly okay. If I had ten beers, I would be liquidated.” PeopleIfsKindWould BeCitiesTenMajorsShotsOkayRussiaBeerIntroducingVodka Author:Gary Shteyngart
“I was a jackass in many ways. I projected that cruelty towards others, that kid whose hand I was wringing. If I could have hurt a hundred weaklings - weaker than me, and I was already very weak - I would. I was dying to hurt somebody, to pay it forward.” IfsWayHandsKidsHurtPayDyingHundredWeakCrueltyIf I CouldJackassesPay It Forward Author:Gary Shteyngart
“You can't have a Russian household without vodka. It's just something to wash everything down with. I can't remember a time when I didn't drink vodka, either in Russia or here. I don't think there's ever a wrong time to start drinking it. My ancestors drank it, and if I ever have any children, they'll be drinking it.” IfsThinkingChildrenI CanRememberDrinkDrinkingRussiaAncestorHouseholdDrankVodkaWrong Time Author:Gary Shteyngart
“Vodka has a huge history in Russia, in that it's almost like a currency. It's the one thing that keeps the country in the dark ages and having a rollicking good time.” CountryAgeDarkOne ThingHugeRussiaGood TimesCurrencyDark AgesVodka Author:Gary Shteyngart
“Italy has sun and tomatoes, and Russia just has real problems.” RealProblemSunRussiaReal ProblemsTomatoes Author:Gary Shteyngart
“Alcohol causes a lot of problems, and then to solve these problems, you drink more.” ProblemCausesDrinkSolveAlcohol Author:Gary Shteyngart