black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

I want to be an honest man and a good writer.

James Baldwin

Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.
JAMES BALDWIN

Battle Beginning Grow Love Thinking War
Most of us are about as eager to be changed as we were to be born, and go through our changes in a similar state of shock.
JAMES BALDWIN

Born Change Inspirational Shock State
Nothing is more desirable than to be released from an affliction, but nothing is more frightening than to be divested of a crutch.
JAMES BALDWIN

Affliction Crutch Desire Frightened Release
If you’re treated a certain way you become a certain kind of person.
JAMES BALDWIN

Deep Insult One Liner Person Respect Treat
The artistic image is not intended to represent the thing itself, but, rather, the reality of the force the thing contains.
JAMES BALDWIN

Art Force Reality Represent
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.
JAMES BALDWIN

History Hurt One Liner Past People Trapped
We all commit our crimes. The thing is to not lie about them.
JAMES BALDWIN

Acceptance Commit Crime Lie
For nothing is more unbearable, once one has it, than freedom.
JAMES BALDWIN

Freedom Independence One Liner Unbearable
People who believe that they are strong-willed and the masters of their destiny can only continue to believe this by becoming specialists in self-deception.
JAMES BALDWIN

Believe Cheat Destiny Master People Strong
The power of the white world is threatened whenever a black man refuses to accept the white world’s definitions.
JAMES BALDWIN

Acceptance Black Black Lives Matter Power Refuse White World
If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.
JAMES BALDWIN

Concept God Love Religion Time Validity
People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it very simply; by the lives they lead.
JAMES BALDWIN

Allow Lead Life Live Pay People
All art is a kind of confession, more or less oblique.
JAMES BALDWIN

Art Confession Oblique One Liner
To be sensual, I think, is to respect and rejoice in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present in all that one does, from the effort of loving to the breaking of bread.
JAMES BALDWIN

Bread Effort Force Life Love Present Rejoice Respect Sensual
People who treat other people as less than human must not be surprised when the bread they have cast on the waters comes floating back to them, poisoned.
JAMES BALDWIN

Bread Float Human People Poison Surprise Water
It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.
JAMES BALDWIN

Enemy Ferocious Ignorance Justice Power

I want to be an honest man and a good writer.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

I want to be an honest man and a good writer.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More James Baldwin Quotes