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Writing is really a way of thinking–not just feeling but thinking about things that are disparate, unresolved, mysterious, problematic or just sweet.

Toni Morrison

There’s a difference between writing for a living and writing for life. If you write for a living, you make enormous compromises. If you write for life, you’ll work hard; you’ll do what’s honest, not what pays.
TONI MORRISON

Difference Hard Work Honesty Life Live Pay Writing
In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.
TONI MORRISON

Country White
I have only to break into the tightness of a strawberry, and I see summer – its dust and lowering skies.
TONI MORRISON

Break Strawberry Summer
Racism will disappear when it’s no longer profitable, and no longer psychologically useful. And when that happens, it’ll be gone. But at the moment, people make a lot of money off of it, pro and con.
TONI MORRISON

Disappear Happen Money People Profit Psychology Racism
Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another.
TONI MORRISON

Claim Freedom Ownership Yourself
When there is pain, there are no words. All pain is the same.
TONI MORRISON

Broken Heart Pain Sad Suffering
My theory is that the world is a difficult place to live in and distraction is the name of the game.
TONI MORRISON

Difficult Distraction Game Theory World
I didn’t want to speak for black people. I wanted to speak to and to be among. It’s us.
TONI MORRISON

Black Lives Matter People Speak Want
All art is knowing when to stop.
TONI MORRISON

Art Inspirational One Liner Stop
There is no civilization that did not begin with art, Whether it was drawing a line in the sand, painting a cave or dancing.
TONI MORRISON

Art Beginning Civilization Dance Painting
I don’t think one parent can raise a child. I don’t think two parents can raise a child. You really need the whole village.
TONI MORRISON

Children Need Parents Raise Thinking Village
It was a fine cry – loud and long – but it had no bottom and it had no top, just circles and circles of sorrow.
TONI MORRISON

Circle Cry Loud Sad Sorrow
But to find out the truth about how dreams die, one should never take the word of the dreamer.
TONI MORRISON

Die Dreamer Dreams Finding Truth World
A friend gathers all the pieces and gives them back in the right order.
TONI MORRISON

Friendship Giving Pieces
As you enter positions of trust and power, dream a little before you think.
TONI MORRISON

Dreams Inspirational Position Power Thinking
The peace I am thinking of is the dance of an open mind when it engages another equally open one.
TONI MORRISON

Dance Engagement Equality Open Minded Peace Thinking

Writing is really a way of thinking–not just feeling but thinking about things that are disparate, unresolved, mysterious, problematic or just sweet.

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Writing is really a way of thinking–not just feeling but thinking about things that are disparate, unresolved, mysterious, problematic or just sweet.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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