“And wanting nothing, regretting nothing, Peters smiled gratefully at life—running past, indifferent, ungrateful, treacherous, mocking, meaningless, alien—marvelous, marvelous, marvelous.” — Tatyana Tolstaya Copy Share Image
“...a book is a delicate friend, a white bird, an exquisite being, afraid of water. Darling things! Afraid of water, of fire,… — Tatyana Tolstaya Book Copy Share Image
Already the writers are complaining that there is too much freedom. They need some pressure. The worse your daily life, the better… — Tatyana Tolstaya Art Copy Share Image
If there is a pattern, it will come back - maybe in Russia more than anywhere else, because it has collapsed so… — Tatyana Tolstaya Patterns Copy Share Image
Art has nothing to do with politics. It is the freest thing in the world. — Tatyana Tolstaya Art Copy Share Image
People know that I am a very good author. But they would rather read what I have to say about the next… — Tatyana Tolstaya Books Copy Share Image
“Golbuchiks? Golbuchiks are ashes, entrails, dung, stove smoke, clay, and they’ll all return to clay. They’re full of dirt, candle oil, droppings,… — Tatyana Tolstaya Books Copy Share Image
Politics disappears; it vanishes. What remains constant is human life. So I try to develop a perspective in my writing where politics… — Tatyana Tolstaya Constant Copy Share Image
I don't want to deal with big, grand themes in my stories; art has nothing to do with themes. When you deal… — Tatyana Tolstaya Art Copy Share Image
You read, move your lips, figure out the words, and it's like you're in two places at the same time: you're sitting… — Tatyana Tolstaya Book Copy Share Image
If you have to be careful because of oppression and censorship, this pressure produces diamonds. — Tatyana Tolstaya Adversity Copy Share Image
“That's what poems are for, so you don't understand a thing.” — Tatyana Tolstaya Learning Copy Share Image
“[comrades] are ashes, entrails, dung, stove smoke, clay, and they’ll all return to clay. They’re full of dirt, candle oil, droppings, dust.… — Tatyana Tolstaya Books Copy Share Image
I don't think people are fools, and I think they deserve a good attitude and smart entertainment. — Tatyana Tolstaya Attitude Copy Share Image
“You, Book! You are the only one who won't deceive, won't attack, won't insult, won't abandon! You're quiet - but you laugh,… — Tatyana Tolstaya Books Copy Share Image
“I only wanted books—nothing more—only books, only words, it was never anything but words—give them to me, I don’t have any! Look,… — Tatyana Tolstaya Books Copy Share Image
