“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 assemble stories-me and a hundred million other people-at the sentence level. Not by coming up with a sweeping story line. — Amy Hempel Hundred 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 exaggerated even before I began to exaggerate, because it's true — nothing is ever quite as bad as it could be. — Amy Hempel Copy Share Image
“She introduces me to a nurse as the Best Friend. The impersonal article is more intimate. It tells me that they are… — Amy Hempel Best friend Copy Share Image
“I believe that 99 percent of what anyone does can effectively be postponed.” — Amy Hempel Procrastination Copy Share Image
“Tell me things I won't mind forgetting," she said. 'Make it useless stuff or skip it.” — Amy Hempel Copy Share Image
I am not quite myself, I think.But who here is quite himself? And yet there is a way in which we are… — Amy Hempel Thinking Copy Share Image
I would like to go for a ride with you, have you take me to stand before a river in the dark… — Amy Hempel Blink Copy Share Image
In my head there's a broken balcony I fall off of when I speak. — Amy Hempel Balconies Copy Share Image
I moved through the days like a severed head that finishes a sentence. — Amy Hempel Moved Copy Share Image
“Women who are attacked phone a hotline for advice. "Don't report a rape," the women are told. "Call it indecent exposure. A… — Amy Hempel Copy Share Image
“The women advised long walks. They told the wife to watch the sun rise and set, to look for solace in the… — Amy Hempel Marriage Copy Share Image
All those years on the psychiatrist's couch and suddenly the couch is moving. Good God, she is on that couch when the… — Amy Hempel Bigs 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 think of the chimp, the one with the talking hands. In the course of the experiment, that chimp had a baby.… — Amy Hempel Animal Copy Share Image
“And it was the first time that I believed the claim that you can help a person more by asking them the… — Amy Hempel First time Copy Share Image
“Automatic is what I can manage. Isn't there enough to pay attention to OUTSIDE the car? All I want inside a car… — Amy Hempel Music Copy Share Image
Wear your heart on the page, and people will read to find out how you solved being alive. — Amy Hempel Alive 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 Body Copy Share Image
I want to know everything about you, so I tell you everything about myself. — Amy Hempel Want Copy Share Image
Maybe this is not a come-down-from-the-ledge story. But I tell it with the thought that the woman on the ledge will ask… — Amy Hempel Ledges Copy Share Image
A five-hour flight works out to three days and nights on land, by rail, from sea to shining sea. You can chalk… — Amy Hempel Chalk Copy Share Image
