We often need to lose sight of our priorities in order to see them. — John Irving Needs Copy Share Image
I am not attracted to writers by style. What style do Dickens, Grass, and Vonnegut have in common? How silly! I am… — John Irving Angry Copy Share Image
I will tell you what is my overriding perception of the last twenty years: that we are a civilization careening toward a… — John Irving Civilization Copy Share Image
I've always been slow but I'm even slower now. I'm more into the waiting, or I guess I'm more patient about the… — John Irving Patience Copy Share Image
I take people very seriously. People are all I take seriously, in fact. Therefore, I have nothing but sympathy for how people… — John Irving Behave Copy Share Image
You don't want to dwell on your enemies, you know. I basically feel so superior to my critics for the simple reason… — John Irving Book Copy Share Image
“The White House, that whole criminal mob, those arrogant goons who see themselves as justified to operate above the law-they disgrace democracy… — John Irving Crime Copy Share Image
“When the valley surrounding St. Cloud's was cleared and the second growth (scrub pine and random, unmanaged softwoods) sprang up everywhere, like… — John Irving Environmentalism Copy Share Image
People are either attracted to the unseemly or disapproving of it, or both; yet we try to sound superior to the unseemly… — John Irving Indifferent Copy Share Image
I grew up without a father, who was kept a mystery to me. There was a sense of uprootedness, things being one… — John Irving Anything Copy Share Image
If I had to be anything," he told her, "I'd probably be a socialist, but I don't want to be anything. — John Irving Socialist Copy Share Image
I always begin with a character or characters, and then try to think up as much action for them as possible. — John Irving Action Copy Share Image
All his life he would hold this moment as exemplary of what love was. It was not wanting anything more, nor was… — John Irving Accomplished Copy Share Image
And I don't want to begin something, I don't want to write that first sentence until all the important connections in the… — John Irving Already taken Copy Share Image
“I realize that a writer's business is setting fire to Piggy Sneed-and trying to save him-again and again; forever.” — John Irving Business Copy Share Image
Writing a novel is actually searching for victims. As I write I keep looking for casualties. The stories uncover the casualties. — John Irving Books Copy Share Image
I grew up in a family where, through my teenage years, I was expected to go to church on Sunday. It wasn't… — John Irving Church Copy Share Image
I grew up in a family where, through my teenage years, I was expected to go to church on Sunday. It wasn't… — John Irving Church Copy Share Image
It was one of those ridiculous arrangements that couples make when they are separating, but before they are divorced - when they… — John Irving Children Copy Share Image
“So we dream on. Thus we invent our lives. We give ourselves a sainted mother, we make our father a hero; and… — John Irving Dreams Copy Share Image
“...but I suddenly realized what small towns are. They are places where you grow up with the peculiar -- you live next… — John Irving Small towns Copy Share Image
Religious freedom should work two ways: we should be free to practice the religion of our choice, but we must also be… — John Irving Choices Copy Share Image
