John Gardner Quotes

Top 65 wise famous quotes and sayings by John Gardner

  1. Home
    2. ›
  2. John Gardner Quotes

John Gardner Famous Quotes & Sayings

Discover top inspirational quotes from John Gardner on Wise Famous Quotes.

John Gardner quotes: [the writer] must copy, with his finite mind, the process of the infinite 'I AM. [the writer] must copy, with his finite mind, the process of the infinite 'I AM.
John Gardner quotes: Most creative-writing teachers have had the experience of occasionally helping to produce, by accident, a pornographer. Most creative-writing teachers have had the experience of occasionally helping to produce, by accident, a pornographer.
John Gardner quotes: It would be, for me, mere pointless pleasure, an illusion of order for this one frail, foolish, flicker-flash in the long dull fall of eternity. It would be, for me, mere pointless pleasure, an illusion of order for this one frail, foolish, flicker-flash in the long dull fall of eternity.
John Gardner quotes: I should have cracked his skull mid song and sent his blood spraying out wet through the mead hall like a shocking change of key. I should have cracked his skull mid song and sent his blood spraying out wet through the mead hall like a shocking change of key.
John Gardner quotes: The point is, whether or not they show it at dinner parties, writers learn, by a necessity of their trade, to be the sharpest of observers. The point is, whether or not they show it at dinner parties, writers learn, by a necessity of their trade, to be the sharpest of observers.
John Gardner quotes: the world: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears. . the world: a mechanical chaos of casual, brute enmity on which we stupidly impose our hopes and fears. .
John Gardner quotes: Fate often enough will spare a man if his courage holds. Fate often enough will spare a man if his courage holds.
John Gardner quotes: It enraged me. It was their confidence, maybe - their blissful, swinish ignorance, their bumptious self-satisfaction, and, worst of all, their hope. It enraged me. It was their confidence, maybe - their blissful, swinish ignorance, their bumptious self-satisfaction, and, worst of all, their hope.
John Gardner quotes: Mastery is not something that strikes in an instant, like a thunderbolt, but a gathering power that moves steadily through time, like weather. Mastery is not something that strikes in an instant, like a thunderbolt, but a gathering power that moves steadily through time, like weather.
John Gardner quotes: Great things happen nationally when topmost leadership is goaded and supported from below. Great things happen nationally when topmost leadership is goaded and supported from below.
John Gardner quotes: The people I've known who wanted to become writers, knowing what it meant, did become writers. The people I've known who wanted to become writers, knowing what it meant, did become writers.
John Gardner quotes: It's a law of the universe that 87 percent of all people in all professions are incompetent. It's a law of the universe that 87 percent of all people in all professions are incompetent.
John Gardner quotes: What do you call the Hrothgar-wrecker when Hrothgar has been wrecked? What do you call the Hrothgar-wrecker when Hrothgar has been wrecked?
John Gardner quotes: It's not easy to kill a mountain goat. He thinks with his spine. It's not easy to kill a mountain goat. He thinks with his spine.
John Gardner quotes: There is no limit to desire but desire's needs. There is no limit to desire but desire's needs.
John Gardner quotes: The writer is more servant than master of his story. The writer is more servant than master of his story.
John Gardner quotes: All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be. All to often, on the long road up, young leaders become servants of what is rather than shapers of what might be.
John Gardner quotes: A story is like a machine with numerous gears: it should contain no gear that doesn't turn something A story is like a machine with numerous gears: it should contain no gear that doesn't turn something
John Gardner quotes: So childhood too feels good at first, before one happens to notice the terrible sameness, age after age. So childhood too feels good at first, before one happens to notice the terrible sameness, age after age.
John Gardner quotes: Do you think it possible for a woman to love two men at the same time?' 'A man can love two women, so I see no problem. Do you think it possible for a woman to love two men at the same time?' 'A man can love two women, so I see no problem.
John Gardner quotes: Writing a novel is like heading out over the open sea in a small boat. It helps, if you have a plan and a course laid out. Writing a novel is like heading out over the open sea in a small boat. It helps, if you have a plan and a course laid out.
John Gardner quotes: Thus I fled, ridiculous hairy creature torn apart by poetry Thus I fled, ridiculous hairy creature torn apart by poetry
John Gardner quotes: When people are serving, life is no longer meaningless. When people are serving, life is no longer meaningless.
John Gardner quotes: As a rule of thumb I say, if Socrates, Jesus and Tolstoy wouldn't do it, don't. As a rule of thumb I say, if Socrates, Jesus and Tolstoy wouldn't do it, don't.
John Gardner quotes: One has to be just a little crazy to write a great novel One has to be just a little crazy to write a great novel
John Gardner quotes: The best way in the world for breaking up a writer's block is to write a lot. The best way in the world for breaking up a writer's block is to write a lot.
John Gardner quotes: The world is all pointless accident ... I exist, nothing else. The world is all pointless accident ... I exist, nothing else.
John Gardner quotes: One sign of a writer's potential is his especially sharp ear - and eye - for language. One sign of a writer's potential is his especially sharp ear - and eye - for language.
John Gardner quotes: Art Gropes. It stalks like a hunter lost in the woods, listening to itself and to everything around it, unsure of itself, waiting to pounce. Art Gropes. It stalks like a hunter lost in the woods, listening to itself and to everything around it, unsure of itself, waiting to pounce.
John Gardner quotes: Poor Grendel's had an accident. So may you all. Poor Grendel's had an accident. So may you all.
John Gardner quotes: Nothing can be more limiting to the imagination than only writing about what you know Nothing can be more limiting to the imagination than only writing about what you know
John Gardner quotes: Not everyone is capable of writing junk fiction: It requires an authentic junk mind. Not everyone is capable of writing junk fiction: It requires an authentic junk mind.
John Gardner quotes: Art, of course, is a way of thinking, a way of mining reality. Art, of course, is a way of thinking, a way of mining reality.
John Gardner quotes: My advice to you, my violent friend, is to seek out gold and sit on it. My advice to you, my violent friend, is to seek out gold and sit on it.
John Gardner quotes: I cannot believe such monstrous energy of grief can lead to nothing! I cannot believe such monstrous energy of grief can lead to nothing!
John Gardner quotes: When I was a child I truly loved:Unthinking love as calm and deepAs the North Sea. But I have lived,And now I do not sleep. When I was a child I truly loved:
Unthinking love as calm and deep
As the North Sea. But I have lived,
And now I do not sleep.
John Gardner quotes: The image-managers encourage the individual to fashion himself into a smooth coin, negotiable in any market. The image-managers encourage the individual to fashion himself into a smooth coin, negotiable in any market.
John Gardner quotes: Our noblest hopes grow teeth and pursue us like tigers. Our noblest hopes grow teeth and pursue us like tigers.
John Gardner quotes: Only very odd people don't realize that truth-telling is always a relative value. Only very odd people don't realize that truth-telling is always a relative value.
John Gardner quotes: The chief offense in bad fiction: we sense that characters are being manipulated, forced to do things they would not really do. The chief offense in bad fiction: we sense that characters are being manipulated, forced to do things they would not really do.
John Gardner quotes: Standing on an open hill, I imagine muffled footsteps overhead. Standing on an open hill, I imagine muffled footsteps overhead.
John Gardner quotes: I couldn't go on, too conscious all at once of my whispering, my eternal posturing, always transforming the world with wordschanging nothing. I couldn't go on, too conscious all at once of my whispering, my eternal posturing, always transforming the world with words
changing nothing.
John Gardner quotes: It is the nature of stupid people to hide their perplexity and attack what they cannot grasp. It is the nature of stupid people to hide their perplexity and attack what they cannot grasp.
John Gardner quotes: I had a chance. I knew I had no more than that. it's all a hero asks for. I had a chance. I knew I had no more than that. it's all a hero asks for.
John Gardner quotes: What true materialist would settle for a MacDonald's hamburger? What true materialist would settle for a MacDonald's hamburger?
John Gardner quotes: The world resists me and I resist the world. The world resists me and I resist the world.
John Gardner quotes: The primary subject of fiction is and has always been human emotion, values, and beliefs. The primary subject of fiction is and has always been human emotion, values, and beliefs.
John Gardner quotes: Find a pile of gold and sit on it. Find a pile of gold and sit on it.
John Gardner quotes: Art is as original and important as it is precisely because it does not start out with clear knowledge of what it means to say. Art is as original and important as it is precisely because it does not start out with clear knowledge of what it means to say.
John Gardner quotes: I know what's in your mind. I know everything. That's what makes me so sick and old and tired. I know what's in your mind. I know everything. That's what makes me so sick and old and tired.
John Gardner quotes: The trick, of course, is to find a profession you like and one that will also feed your writing, and not eat up all your time. The trick, of course, is to find a profession you like and one that will also feed your writing, and not eat up all your time.
John Gardner quotes: Heidegger's parlamblings on 'Nothing' and 'Not' and 'the Nothing that Nothings' were the last supposedly respectable gasp of classical philosophy. Heidegger's parlamblings on 'Nothing' and 'Not' and 'the Nothing that Nothings' were the last supposedly respectable gasp of classical philosophy.
John Gardner quotes: They watch on, evil, incredibly stupid, enjoying my destruction.'Poor Grendel's had an accident,' I whisper. 'So may you all. They watch on, evil, incredibly stupid, enjoying my destruction.
'Poor Grendel's had an accident,' I whisper. 'So may you all.
John Gardner quotes: I have eaten several priests. They sit on the stomach like duck eggs. I have eaten several priests. They sit on the stomach like duck eggs.
John Gardner quotes: Talking, talking. Spinning a web of words, pale walls of dreams, between myself and all I see. Talking, talking. Spinning a web of words, pale walls of dreams, between myself and all I see.
John Gardner quotes: But dragons, my boy, have a whole different kind of mind. But dragons, my boy, have a whole different kind of mind.
John Gardner quotes: I wonder which one of us God finds more uninteresting. I wonder which one of us God finds more uninteresting.
John Gardner quotes: Bad art is always basically creepy; that is its first and most obvious identifying sign Bad art is always basically creepy; that is its first and most obvious identifying sign
John Gardner quotes: Space hurls outwards, falconswift, mounting like an irreversible justice, a final disease Space hurls outwards, falconswift, mounting like an irreversible justice, a final disease
John Gardner quotes: Theme is not imposed on the story but evoked from within it- initially an intuitive but finally an intellectual act on the part of a writer. Theme is not imposed on the story but evoked from within it- initially an intuitive but finally an intellectual act on the part of a writer.
John Gardner quotes: He had glimpsed a glorious ideal, had struggled toward it and seized it and come to understand it, and was disappointed. One could sympathize. He had glimpsed a glorious ideal, had struggled toward it and seized it and come to understand it, and was disappointed. One could sympathize.
John Gardner quotes: He could forget all these people, just like that, become fond again of strangers and leave them too. He could forget all these people, just like that, become fond again of strangers and leave them too.
John Gardner quotes: There is some realm where feelings become birds and dark sky, and spirit is more solid than stone. There is some realm where feelings become birds and dark sky, and spirit is more solid than stone.
John Gardner quotes: The future is as dark, as unreal, as the past. The future is as dark, as unreal, as the past.
John Gardner quotes: He was saner than anyone --had fallen out of the world of illusion: love, interesting work, hope for the future. He was saner than anyone --had fallen out of the world of illusion: love, interesting work, hope for the future.

Famous Authors

Popular Topics

Authors | Topics | About | Contact | Policy | Sitemap

Copyright © 2025 Wise Famous Quotes. All Rights Reserved.