“The great writers, Conrad, Maugham and Melville, spent only a few years in the South Seas, but their memory of those waters was indestructible; for the nature of life in the islands commands attention to the vivid world and its… — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
“I have often been mildly amused when I think that the great American novel was not written about New England or Chicago. It was written about a white whale in the South Pacific.” — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
“[Very rich people] with brains make a great effort to hold on to every penny they have while preaching to the general population that… — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
A writer can make a fortune in America, but he can't make a living. — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
As a writer I have persisted in my uncertainty, alternating between novels which could charitably be considered literature and world reporting which by another… — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
. . . Luddites were those frenzied traditionalists of the early 19th century who toured [England] wrecking new weaving machines on the theory that if they were destroyed . . . old jobs and old ways of life could be preserved . . . At certain times in his life each man is tempted to become a Luddite, for there… — James A. Michener Copy Share
I am terrified of restrictive religious doctrine, having learned from history that when men who adhere to any form of it are in control,… — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
“This is not a promise, this is not threat, it's just the way it's gonna be!!!” — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
“We went into the night and for the first time in my life I saw the stars hanging low over the desert, for the atmosphere above us contained no moisture, no dust, no impediment of any kind. It was probably the cleanest air man knows and it displayed the stars as no other could. Not even at Qala Bist, which… — James A. Michener Copy Share
The rules seem to be these: If you have written a successful novel, everyone invites you to write short stories. If you have written… — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
“A Roman came to Rabbi Gimzo the Water Carrier, and asked, "What is this study of the law that you Jews engage in?" and Gimzo replied, "I shall explain. There were two men on a roof, and they climbed down the chimney. One's face became sooty. The other's not. Which one washed his face?" The Roman said, "That's easy, the… — James A. Michener Copy Share
If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
I think the crucial thing in the writing career is to find what you want to do and how you fit in. What somebody… — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
“The chance emergence of the was nothing. Remember this. But its persistence and patient accumulation of stature were everything. Only by relentless effort did… — James A. Michener Copy Share Image
![“[Very rich people] with brains make a great effort to hold on to every penny they have while preaching to the general population that freedom and dignity and patriotism are possible only under their protection; in this way they elicit the support of the very people they hold in subjection.” quote by James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/60b/james-a-michener-1627_freedom_very-rich-people-with-brains-make-a-grea_8715.jpg)
