“A tale may have exactly three beginnings: one for the audience, one for the artist, and one for the poor bastard who… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
“After all, in fairy tales, there was only one thing to do. In every story with a long sleep and a waking… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
No matter what you write, you actually can't help retelling a fairy tale somewhere along the way. — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
Stories,' the green-eyed Sigrid said, unperturbed, 'are like prayers. It does not matter when you begin, or when you end, only that… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
…everything has a narrative, really, and if you can’t understand a story and relate to it, figure out how you fit inside… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
I have tried to write stories that go into the underworld of myth and bring out life and fire — where the… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
All stories must end so, with the next tale winking out of the corners of the last pages, promising more, promising moonlight… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
“In Russian fairy tales, the narrative flows a little differently. In those stories, you won’t find a tale for Cinderella, one for… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
Fairy tales have always been about getting through the worst of everything, the darkest and the deepest and the bloodiest of events.… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
“There is always a moment when stories end, a moment when everything is blue and black and silent, and the teller does… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
“September let go a long-held breath. She stared into the roiling black-violet soup, thinking furiously. The trouble was, September didn’t know what… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
“...while epic fantasy is based on the fairy tale of the just war, that’s not one you’ll find in Grimm or Disney,… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share Image
When I saw him I thought I could curl up inside him and go to sleep and never wake up." "Men are no good… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
“You couldn't ever really fix a sad story. You could only make another. And another. And another, until you found the right one at… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
“He considers it for a moment and spits out the seeds, which sprout, quickly, into tiny junkblossoms sizzling with recursive algorithms. The algorithms wriggle… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
“Truly, Mallow yearned to know everything. Curiosity was part of her, like her short blond hair and bitten fingernails.” — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
“The cicada lies in the earth for seventeen years. It is warm and dark there, it is soft and wet. Its little legs curl… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
We all live inside the terrible engine of authority, and it grinds and shrieks and burns so that no one will say: lines on… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
Her heart was bruised by the kiss, smashed and surprised and unsettled by it. September thought kisses were all nice, sweet things asked for… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
“September put her hand on the grip of the Rivet Gun. She’d only just gotten it, and she’d promised to take copious notes for… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
Just tell yourself a story that'll satisfy you and pretend he told it. — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
“You see, the future is a kind of stew, a soup, a vichyssoise of the present and the past. That's how you get the… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
Fairy tales have always been about getting through the worst of everything, the darkest and the deepest and the bloodiest of events. They are… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
“There is a place, September, oh, very far from Pandemonium. A place where it is always autumn, where there is always cider and pumpkin… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
Who are you?" "I am Death," said the creature. "I thought that was obvious." "But you're so small!" "Only because you are small. You… — Catherynne M. Valente Copy Share
