E. L. Doctorow - QuotesChannel

Author : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

12,865,728 quotes searched till now

E. L. Doctorow

American, Author

Total Quotes : 26

Fiction Narrative Longer

There is no longer any such thing as fiction or nonfiction; there's only narrative.

- E. L. Doctorow

Fact Rained Reader

Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.

- E. L. Doctorow

Generation Think Product

History is the present. That's why every generation writes it anew. But what most people think of as history is its end product, myth.

- E. L. Doctorow

Lunch Here Maybe

Here's how it goes: I'm up at the stroke of 10 or 10:30. I have breakfast and read the papers, and then it's lunchtime. Then maybe a little nap after lunch and out to the gym, and before I know it, it's time to have a drink.

- E. L. Doctorow

Discovered Same Thing

I discovered Einstein said the same thing about his celebrated theories of relativity that writers say about their work when he said he didn't have any feelings of personal possession of these ideas. Once they were out there, they came from somewhere else. And that's exactly the feeling when you write. You don't feel possessive about it.

- E. L. Doctorow

Play Frustrated Beholden

Congress is so beholden to the money that any solution in the general interest will be frustrated and subverted by the corporate interests who feel they will be damaged by progress, fair play and justice.

- E. L. Doctorow

Think Belong Commas

I like commas. I detest semi-colons - I don't think they belong in a story. And I gave up quotation marks long ago. I found I didn't need them, they were fly-specks on the page.

- E. L. Doctorow

Nature Ambiguity Dwells

The nature of good fiction is that it dwells in ambiguity.

- E. L. Doctorow

Fiction Principle Period

A period of time is as much an organising principle for a work of fiction as a sense of place. You can do geography, as Faulkner did, or you can dwell on a particular period. It provides the same framework.

- E. L. Doctorow

Music Books Composition

Books are acts of composition: you compose them. You make music: the music is called fiction.

- E. L. Doctorow

Writing Learn Exploration

Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.

- E. L. Doctorow

Night Like Headlights

Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

- E. L. Doctorow

Newspaper Fact More

Things that appear on the front page of the newspaper as 'fact' are far more dangerous than the games played by a novelist, and can lead to wars.

- E. L. Doctorow

Always Attracted Edges

We're always attracted to the edges of what we are, out by the edges where it's a little raw and nervy.

- E. L. Doctorow

Reason Terrifying Century

The writer isn't made in a vacuum. Writers are witnesses. The reason we need writers is because we need witnesses to this terrifying century.

- E. L. Doctorow

Car Night Like

It's like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

- E. L. Doctorow

Will Tell Like

The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you what it felt like.

- E. L. Doctorow

Thought Prepare Would

I thought I would lose, so I didn't prepare a speech.

- E. L. Doctorow

Fiction Borders Go

In fiction, you know, there are no borders. You can go anywhere.

- E. L. Doctorow

Peers Regard Immensely

To have the regard of one's peers is immensely moving.

- E. L. Doctorow

Showing: 1 out of 2 Pages

Join us on

Newsletter

Subscribe to our weekly Newsletter and stay tuned.