---
title: "2 American writer Quotes By James McBride"
description: "2 American writer quotes by James McBride. Plus more from James McBride and more American writer sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34b/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-afri_271673.jpg"
---

> [I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has allowed me to speak in a kind of free way. But most African American writers don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-african-american-writers-who/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34b/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-afri_271673.jpg)

> [You know what needs to be done when you're a writer. You know what the job is, particularly if you're an African American writer, or if you deal with people, or if your subjects are poor people or people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/you-know-what-needs-to-be-done-when-you-re-a-writer-you-know-what-the/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_you-know-what-needs-to-be-done-when-you_2400538.png)

## More by James McBride

> [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [There are some really great books that have been written about slavery, but I don't think that the discourse about it in society has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-some-really-great-books-that-have-been-written-about/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [“Whatever you is, Onion," he said, "be it full.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/whatever-you-is-onion-he-said-be-it-full/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [There are two responses to really awful things. One is to lament and say, "Oh my God, oh lord." And the other is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-two-responses-to-really-awful-things-one-is-to-lament-and/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [If you're going to cheat and take people's history and you're not writing the Bible, you ain't really so great. But if you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/if-you-re-going-to-cheat-and-take-people-s-history-and-you-re-not/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [“Most cars drove through there because the drivers is either from The Bottom and wanna get home - or they ain't from The Bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/most-cars-drove-through-there-because-the-drivers-is-either-from-the/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [There has to be some mystery in life, because the joy of being a writer and the joy of being a musician is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-has-to-be-some-mystery-in-life-because-the-joy-of-being-a/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [“And when James asked what color God was, she said, God is the color of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/and-when-james-asked-what-color-god-was-she-said-god-is-the-color-of/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [I'm proud of 'Miracle at St. Anna' and I loved it; there's no question in my mind it's as good as any movie that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-proud-of-miracle-at-st-anna-and-i-loved-it-there-s-no-question-in/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [“back,” Daddy said. “It’ll work out.” He had no idea what to do about Helen. They spoke a completely different language. He was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/back-daddy-said-it-ll-work-out-he-had-no-idea-what-to-do-about-helen/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-african-american-writers-who/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/god-is-the-color-of-water-water-doesn-t-have-a-color/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [First person narrative is a very effective tool but you have to know as a writer how to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/first-person-narrative-is-a-very-effective-tool-but-you-have-to-know/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [The act of choosing what to place in your piece when you're a historian or a non-fiction writer already renders it into fiction for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/the-act-of-choosing-what-to-place-in-your-piece-when-you-re-a/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

> [...since I was a little boy, she had always wanted me to go. She was always sending me off on a bus someplace, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/since-i-was-a-little-boy-she-had-always-wanted-me-to-go-she-was/)

[James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/james-mcbride/#itemlist",
            "name": "2 American writer Quotes By James McBride",
            "numberOfItems": 2,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has allowed me to speak in a kind of free way. But most African American writers don't have that. They don't have that opportunity, they don't have that.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "James McBride"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-african-american-writers-who/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34b/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-afri_271673.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34b/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-afri_271673.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34b/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-afri_271673.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system…” — James McBride",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "You know what needs to be done when you're a writer. You know what the job is, particularly if you're an African American writer, or if you deal with people, or if your subjects are poor people or people who need voice. So you don't really need to know whether or not you are doing the right thing. What you have to be wary of if you're doing the right thing to the right level that will surpass your own life. I'm hoping that my work will surpass my own life.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "James McBride"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/you-know-what-needs-to-be-done-when-you-re-a-writer-you-know-what-the/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_you-know-what-needs-to-be-done-when-you_2400538.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_you-know-what-needs-to-be-done-when-you_2400538.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_you-know-what-needs-to-be-done-when-you_2400538.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“You know what needs to be done when you're a writer. You know what the job is, particularly if you're an…” — James McBride",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/james-mcbride/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/james-mcbride/",
            "name": "American writer Quotes by James McBride",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/james-mcbride/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34b/james-mcbride-4758_african-american_i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-afri_271673.jpg"
            },
            "description": "2 American writer quotes by James McBride. Plus more from James McBride and more American writer sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/james-mcbride/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/james-mcbride/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "American Writer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "James McBride",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/james-mcbride/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```