black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

We cannot love something solely because it has been ignored. It must also be worthy of our attention.

Zadie Smith

People profess to have certain political positions, but their conservatism or liberalism is really the least interesting thing about them.
ZADIE SMITH

Interesting People Political
Something in me was changed by Lincoln in the Bardo, and the great sublime/grotesque risk of [George Saunders’] ghosts was a part of it.
ZADIE SMITH

Ghost Risk Sublime
I’m very attracted to exile literature – particularly Nabokov – exactly because the idea of being away from home for any serious length of time is so inconceivable to me.
ZADIE SMITH

Home Idea Literature
The library was the place I went to find out what there was to know. It was absolutely essential.
ZADIE SMITH

Absolutely Essential Library
For me, George Saunders novel [Lincoln in the Bardo] is about a problem of pain.
ZADIE SMITH

Novel Pain Problem
Don’t confuse honours with achievement.
ZADIE SMITH

Achievement Confuse Honour
The young people have a phrase for this now, which is “slay in your lane.” That’s a very important principle of writing. You have to work out what it is you can’t do, obscure it, and focus on what works.
ZADIE SMITH

Out People Work Writing
…They cannot escape their history any more than you yourself can lose your shadow.
ZADIE SMITH

Lose Shadow Teeth White
One thing you learn about the novel as a form is that it’s always smarter than you are.
ZADIE SMITH

Form Novel Smarter
I am the sole author of the dictionary that defines me.
ZADIE SMITH

Author Define Dictionary Sole
I recognize myself to be an intensely naive person. Most novelists are, despite frequent pretensions to deep socio-political insight.
ZADIE SMITH

Insight Novelist Political
Today, writing seems to me like an incredible luxury, almost a perversity, something which hardly exists in the world anymore, where you get to see the fruits of your actions in a daily way.
ZADIE SMITH

Incredible Luxury World Writing
When I was young, I was very technical about these things. I didn’t like to admit to any intimate relation with what I was writing.
ZADIE SMITH

Intimate Writing Young
Full stories are as rare as honesty.
ZADIE SMITH

Coverage Emotion Full Honesty Story
The greatest lie ever told about love is that it sets you free.
ZADIE SMITH

Country Love Lying People
You’re a library of me.
ZADIE SMITH

Attention Express Feeling Library

We cannot love something solely because it has been ignored. It must also be worthy of our attention.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

We cannot love something solely because it has been ignored. It must also be worthy of our attention.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Zadie Smith Quotes