“The hell with "love" anyway, and with every other phony, time-wasting, half-assed emotion in the world.” — Richard Yates Emotion Copy Share Image
“It’s the great sentimental lie of the suburbs, and I’ve been making you subscribe to it all this time.” — Richard Yates Sentimental Copy Share Image
In avoiding specific goals he had avoided specific limitations. For the time being the world, life itself, could be his chosen field. — Richard Yates Avoiding Copy Share Image
God knows there certainly ought to be a window around here somewhere, for all of us. — Richard Yates Certainly Copy Share Image
Our ability to measure and apportion time affords an almost endless source of comfort. — Richard Yates Ability Copy Share Image
“They knew what forgiveness was; they were willing to take him for better or worse; they loved him.” — Richard Yates Forgiveness Copy Share Image
“Wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow", he said. "Don't, then. Stay home." "No. I guess I've got to go.” — Richard Yates Stay Copy Share Image
if you don’t try at anything, you can’t fail… it takes back bone to lead the life you want — Richard Yates Bones Copy Share Image
He took each fact as it came and let it slip painlessly into the back of his mind, thinking, Okay, okay, I'll… — Richard Yates Command Copy Share Image
“The subjects of her talk didn't matter; he knew what she was really saying. Helpless and gentle, small and tired and anxious… — Richard Yates Failure Copy Share Image
...you found you were saying yes when you meant no, and “We’ve got to be together in this thing” when you meant… — Richard Yates Blamed Copy Share Image
A man could rant and smash and grapple with the State Police, and still the sprinklers whirled at dusk on every lawn… — Richard Yates Dusk Copy Share Image
“There was probably nothing to be done about a woman like this. Dying for love might be pitiable, but it wasn't much… — Richard Yates Dying Copy Share Image
“The slick, chin-high tops of cars made an undulating surface that stretched away into the darkness in all directions; beneath it stood… — Richard Yates Shadowy Copy Share Image
She just happened to feel like it. Wasn’t that after all, the only reason there was? Had she ever had a less… — Richard Yates Complicated Copy Share Image
“For a year she found an exquisite pain - almost pleasure - in facing the world as if she didn't care. Look… — Richard Yates Coping Copy Share Image
Intelligent, thinking people could take things like this in their stride, just as they took the larger absurdities of deadly dull jobs… — Richard Yates Absurdity Copy Share Image
“I don’t care if it takes you five years of doing nothing at all; I don’t care if you decide after five… — Richard Yates Five years Copy Share Image
The Revolutionary Hill Estates had not been designed to accommodate a tragedy. Even at night, as if on purpose, the development held… — Richard Yates Cheerful Copy Share Image
“She cried because she'd had such high, high hopes about the Wheelers tonight and now she was terribly, terribly, terribly disappointed. She… — Richard Yates High hopes Copy Share Image
“On nights when Gloria stayed up late enough to see Rachel come dreamily home she was always unsettled by the girl's appearance:… — Richard Yates Lipstick Eaten Copy Share Image
“Because he was closer to her here than in the office, and less shy than in the car, he could see clearly… — Richard Yates Flirtation Copy Share Image
When you wrote it didn't matter if hysteria sometimes came up in your face and voice (unless, of course, you let it… — Richard Yates Blanche Copy Share Image
“He turned off all the hot water and turned up the cold, a thing he hadn’t done in years. The shock of… — Richard Yates Gasping Copy Share Image
if you wanted to do something absolutely honest, something true, it always turned out to be a thing that had to be… — Richard Yates Alone Copy Share Image
“He was big and sturdy, with a heavy jaw and a voice that made her want to curl up and ride in… — Richard Yates Heavy Copy Share Image
“Oh, Frank. Can you really think artists and writers are the only people entitled to lives of their own?” — Richard Yates Art Copy Share Image
I'm only interested in stories that are about the crushing of the human heart. — Richard Yates Crush Copy Share Image
If my work has a theme, I suspect it is a simple one: that most human beings are inescapably alone, and therein… — Richard Yates Humans Copy Share Image
People did change, and a change could be a bloom as well as a withering... — Richard Yates Change Copy Share Image
“It reminded her too, time and again, of her own susceptibility to panic and her unfathomable dread of being alone.” — Richard Yates Fear Copy Share Image
“Whoever said you can't love ridiculous things? God knows i love you, and you're the most ridiculous woman I ever met!” — Richard Yates God knows Copy Share Image
Can you really think artists and writers are the only people entitled to lives of their own? — Richard Yates Art Copy Share Image
...his job was the very least important part of his life, never to be mentioned except in irony. — Richard Yates Important Copy Share Image
And do you know a funny thing? I'm almost fifty years old and I've never understood anything in my whole life. — Richard Yates Fifty Copy Share Image
“Neither of the Grimes sisters would have a happy life, and looking back it always seemed that the trouble began with their… — Richard Yates Happy life Copy Share Image
Warren Cox, God knew, was no prize; a commercial person, a sales person, the kind of man who said things like "x… — Richard Yates Business Copy Share Image
“He was happy enough to stay in this jumbled, lively place where the drinks were cheap and the band was loud and… — Richard Yates Happy Copy Share Image
“Don't you see what I'm saying? It's got nothing to do with definite, measurable talents - it's your very essence that's being… — Richard Yates Denied Copy Share Image
“Rachel became slowly aware now, even while talking and listening to her own voice, that there might well be something universal about… — Richard Yates Mother Copy Share Image
