Carolyn Chute

“Every time I think I know what's right and wrong, I end up being wrong. All I want to do is explore. I want to see what people would do. I say, 'What would this person do in this situation?' and I write it down. I'm not writing manifestos of my political views.”

“We don't want the government to have anything we don't have, because government isn't 'We The People' anymore.”

“When I'm not writing, I do a lot of research reading on the shape of civilization. Fiction can be a lot of different things... but I feel like it's my job to write about the way things are.”

“When I write, I just let my characters go, the way I let life go.”

“I love a big book, but it's what most people like which makes commerce sing.”

“There's no writer's block; there's only distraction.”

“I never wanted to be a writer. I still don't.”

“When people do come face to face with each other as human beings, they begin to understand each other better.”

“Whenever I write, I write what I find to be the way people are. I never use any symbolism at all, but if you write as true to life as you possibly can, people will see symbolism. They'll all see different symbolism, but they're apt to because you can see it in life.”

“Your community is your survival.”

“What poor people go through, it's amazing they don't do more violent things! If they'd just give you a little dignity, it might help you stand it better. They suffer no heat, no electricity, while you're working, but then you've got to face all the insults, too.”

“With upper- and middle-class lawns, there's more hidden, whereas with working-class or poor lawns, there's more out to see. It just sits right out there. Very honest. Like the people.”

“When we go out in the world together, we don't get beat down.”