Home / Quotes / Quote by Tama Janowitz

Quote by Tama Janowitz

“The older a woman gets, the more invisible you become.”

Author

Tama Janowitz is an American novelist known for her profound depiction of life in New York City. Her works often focus on young, urban protagonists and the challenges they face in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. more

“If you want to be a writer, all you need is a piece of paper and a pencil, and I had a manual typewriter. It doesn't cost money to write. It costs money to make art. So I would just write. I would hand out stories in the classes in high school. And the teacher would say, "Whatever you do, don't become a writer."”

Ifs Want Needs Writing Art Stories Hands School Class Teacher Pieces Cost Paper High School Pencils Typewriters Manuals

Author:Tama Janowitz

“Most of my life is just spent lying in bed. I mean, it's enough pressure to write the words. Do I need to use the additional energy exerted by sitting up?”

Needs Writing Mean Enough Use Life Is Lying Energy Bed Sitting Pressure Sitting Up

Author:Tama Janowitz

“The novel is never really in the first draft. The novel really happens in the revisions.”

Firsts Happens Novel Revision

Author:Tama Janowitz

“I think it's true about people now being closer to their parents, since the '60s, really. The parents are no longer from a different planet, the 1950s ideas of American family. We could be friends with our parents. After the '60s, it wasn't like a person smoking pot was what the parents would be appalled at.”

People Thinking Persons Ideas Different Would Be Parent Planets Smoking Pot American Family Smoking Pot

Author:Tama Janowitz

“I'm writing what I want to write. But it's almost an act of rebellion on my part. Because as a person, I've always wanted to be very likeable, and I think that's a horrible thing, particularly for women. You're always like, "Oh, I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings. I hope they like me!" And that's just so stupid.”

Thinking Want Writing Persons Feelings Wanted Hurt Stupid Horrible Like Me Rebellion Horrible Things Likeable

Author:Tama Janowitz

“I think powerful women don't care whether or not they're liked.”

Thinking Care Powerful Don't Care Powerful Women

Author:Tama Janowitz

“In my writing I wanted to be liked for writing really unlikeable stuff. There were books that people, particularly women, hated so much. They said, "I threw it against the wall!" Which, in my opinion, was a compliment. Because it's very hard to get somebody to throw something.”

People Writing Said Book Hard Wanted Stuff Opinion Wall Hated Compliment They Said

Author:Tama Janowitz

“If you want to write about a person who isn't nice, people say, "This is a bad book. It's about somebody I couldn't stand." But that's not the point. You don't have to like a character to like a book. Most of the time, people would misjudge and say, "I didn't like the book." No, you didn't like the character. That doesn't make it any less interesting of a book. In fact, to me, it makes it more interesting.”

People Ifs Want Writing Persons Book Character Facts Interesting Nice Nice People

Author:Tama Janowitz

“Why would I want to read something about somebody that's just a really nice, decent person who overcomes terrible trials? That's not how life is to me.”

Want Persons Life Is Nice Terrible Overcoming Trials Decent Really Nice

Author:Tama Janowitz

Quote by Tama Janowitz

Author

You May Also Like