flannery o connor

“ There is something in us, as storytellers and as listeners to stories, that demands the redemptive act, that demands that what falls at least be offered the chance to be restored. ”

“ The modern hero is the outsider. His experience is rootless. He can go anywhere. ”

“ Writing a novel is a terrible experience, during which the hair often falls out and the teeth decay. ”

“ A story is a way to say something that cant be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is. ”

“ The writer operates at a peculiar crossroads where time and place and eternity somehow meet. His problem is to find that location. ”

“ The serious writer has always taken the flaw in human nature for his starting point, usually the flaw in an otherwise admirable character. ”

“ The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. ”

“ Manners are of such great consequence to the novelist that any kind will do. ”

“ The writer should never be ashamed of staring. There is nothing that does not require his attention. ”

“ The Southerner is usually tolerant of those weaknesses that proceed from innocence. ”