Amy Tan Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

“I have survivor skills. Some of that is superficial - what I present to people outwardly - but what makes people resilient is the ability to find humour and irony in situations that would otherwise overpower you.”

“It's both rebellion and conformity that attack you with success.”

“I'd like to be more forgiving. There are times when I've had a hard time forgiving people who have betrayed me.”

“Who knows where inspiration comes from. Perhaps it arises from desperation. Perhaps it comes from the flukes of the universe, the kindness of the muses.”

“My parents had very high expectations. They expected me to get straight A's from the time I was in kindergarten.”

“There are a lot of people who think that's what's needed to be successful is always being right, always being careful, always picking the right path.”

“I write because I know that one day I will die, and thus I should experience as many deliberate observations, careful thoughts, wild ideas, and deep emotions as I can before that day occurs.”

“I also thought of playing improvisational jazz and I did take lessons for a while. At first I tried to write fiction by making up things that were completely alien to my life.”

“The forbidden things were a great influence on my life. I was forbidden from reading A Catcher in the Rye.”

“I thought I was clever enough to write as well as these people and I didn't realize that there is something called originality and your own voice.”