“A story happens when two equally appealing forces, or characters, or ideas try to occupy the same place at the same time,… — Amy Hempel Story Copy Share Image
Look at me. My concerns-are they spiritual, do you think, or carnal? Come on. We've read our Shakespeare. — Amy Hempel Concern Copy Share Image
Since his mother died I have seen him steam a cucumber thinking it was zucchini. That's the kind of thing that turns… — Amy Hempel Cucumbers Copy Share Image
The other day I was playing Scrabble. I saw that I could close the space in D-E- -Y. I had an N… — Amy Hempel Made Copy Share Image
The year I began to say vahz instead of vase, a man I barely knew nearly accidentally killed me. — Amy Hempel Accidentally Copy Share Image
My job ... I do nothing, it pays nothing, but - you guessed it - it's better than nothing. — Amy Hempel Jobs Copy Share Image
What I think," Chatty says, "is that if a man loves a woman more than a woman loves a man, then they're… — Amy Hempel Men Copy Share Image
“Mrs. Linden was beautiful in spirit and in fact. Her wish, she told her daughter, was to be a beautiful woman and… — Amy Hempel Beautiful woman Copy Share Image
I know that homes burn and that you should think what to save before they start to. Not because, in the heat… — Amy Hempel Bother Copy Share Image
There’s so much I can’t read because I get so exasperated. Someone starts describing the character boarding the plane and pulling the… — Amy Hempel Babe Copy Share Image
I had a mother I could only seem to please with verbal accomplishments of some sort or another. She read constantly, so… — Amy Hempel Accomplishment Copy Share Image
As soon as I knew that I would be all right, I was sure that I was dead and didn't know it.… — Amy Hempel Death Copy Share Image
“I read about a famous mystery writer who worked for one week in a department store. One day she saw a woman… — Amy Hempel Writing Copy Share Image
“And what about the certainty I feel regarding you? You could say that an hour is not a lot to go on.… — Amy Hempel Certainty Copy Share Image
“It is such a pretty story, told to me by a Cuban woman I met in a bar at the beach. She… — Amy Hempel Dark eyes Copy Share Image
“A famous artist is approached by a student. "You don't remember me," the student says correctly, "but years ago you said something… — Amy Hempel Art Copy Share Image
I know when a story is finished when there is not a single thing more I can think to do to it.… — Amy Hempel Courses Copy Share Image
“It comes back to the question, whom are you writing for? Who are the readers you want? Who are the people you… — Amy Hempel Books Copy Share Image
“The psychic said I would have two children. This makes me shake my head. I know you are not supposed to leave… — Amy Hempel Baby Copy Share Image
Just once in my life--oh, when have I ever wanted anything just once in my life? — Amy Hempel Life Copy Share Image
“I believe that 99 percent of what anyone does can effectively be postponed.” — Amy Hempel Postponed Copy Share Image
“It’s the natural trajectory of a writing career that a writer becomes better at being herself.” — Amy Hempel Nature Copy Share Image
When the beer is gone, so are they -- flexing their cars on up the boulevard. — Amy Hempel Beer Copy Share Image
Just because you have stopped sinking doesn't mean you're not still underwater. — Amy Hempel Drowning Copy Share Image
“Tell me things I won't mind forgetting," she said. 'Make it useless stuff or skip it.” — Amy Hempel Forgetting Copy Share Image
A love affair begins with a fantasy. For instance, that the beloved will always be there. — Amy Hempel Affair Copy Share Image
“I think it was that love that I loved. That kind of involvement was reassuring; I felt it would extend to me,… — Amy Hempel Love Copy Share Image
The worst of it is over now, and I can't say that I am glad. Lose that sense of loss--you have gone… — Amy Hempel Glad Copy Share Image
I'm not first and foremost interested in story and the what-happens, but I'm interested in who's telling it and how they're telling… — Amy Hempel Character Copy Share Image
I could claim any number of high-flown reasons for writing, just as you can explain certain dogs behavior... But maybe, it’s that… — Amy Hempel Behavior Copy Share Image
