--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But Stephanie hailed from suburban…" description: "\"“But Stephanie hailed from suburban, midwestern nowhere, and there had been a club whose snack bar served thin, greasy burgers rather than salade niçoi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/jennifer-egan-825_tennis_but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwe_847420.jpg" --- # But Stephanie hailed from suburban, midwestern nowhere… ![“But Stephanie hailed from suburban, midwestern nowhere, and there had been a club whose snack bar served thin, greasy burgers rather than salade niçoise with fresh seared tuna, like this one, but where tennis had been played on sun-cracked courts, and where Stephanie had achieved a certain…” quote by Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/jennifer-egan-825_tennis_but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwe_847420.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/jennifer-egan-825_tennis_but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwe_847420.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/jennifer-egan-825_tennis_but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwe_847420.jpg) > ““But Stephanie hailed from suburban, midwestern nowhere, and there had been a club whose snack bar served thin, greasy burgers rather than salade niçoise with fresh seared tuna, like this one, but where tennis had been played on sun-cracked courts, and where Stephanie had achieved a certain greatness at around age thirteen. She hadn’t played since.”” [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character reflects on a past environment that shaped her identity, contrasting ordinary origins with elite experiences, highlighting how early achievements can linger even after activity stops. **In simple terms:** Past environment and early success shape identity, even when activity ceases. Key Takeaway Recognize how early experiences influence present self. Themes identity nostalgia achievement class memory Mood reflective melancholic contemplative Type literary character study nostalgic When to use this quote - career transition - personal growth - reconnecting with past passions - overcoming stagnation Key Concepts Social class self-concept nostalgic reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do early achievements affect current motivations? - What does “greatness” mean in everyday life? A Different Perspective The quote may romanticize past glory, overlooking present realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courts Stephanie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courts-stephanie-712037/) [Like Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-tennis-541917/) [Midwestern Club](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/midwestern-club-712040/) [Stephanie Achieved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stephanie-achieved-712038/) [Stephanie Hailed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stephanie-hailed-712039/) [Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis/) ## Related quotes > [“Life is like tennis. Those who serve best usually win.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/life-is-like-tennis-those-who-serve-best-usually-win/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [To me, acting is like tennis. You're only as good as the person you're playing with, so if you're playing with Michael C. Hall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-garcia/to-me-acting-is-like-tennis-you-re-only-as-good-as-the-person-you-re/) [Aimee Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-garcia/) > [Acting is a bit like tennis in that you can't really do it on your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/acting-is-a-bit-like-tennis-in-that-you-can-t-really-do-it-on-your-own/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [I did eight months of training for 'Wimbledon,' and then, by the time I finished the movie another four months later, I was like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bettany/i-did-eight-months-of-training-for-wimbledon-and-then-by-the-time-i/) [Paul Bettany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bettany/) > [You're the only one in control over your golf ball. It's not like tennis: you're hitting a shot and somebody's hitting it back at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-westwood/you-re-the-only-one-in-control-over-your-golf-ball-it-s-not-like/) [Lee Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-westwood/) > [“The rule in life is like with tennis: One point won't lose you the match, but if you let it get to you, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-seller/the-rule-in-life-is-like-with-tennis-one-point-won-t-lose-you-the/) [David Seller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-seller/) > [Chemistry is really about two people who like to act together, I think. It's like tennis in the most cliched way. It's like if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duchovny/chemistry-is-really-about-two-people-who-like-to-act-together-i-think/) [David Duchovny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duchovny/) > [No athletes talk to themselves like tennis players. Pitchers, golfers, goalkeepers, they mutter to themselves, but tennis players talk to themselves-and answer. Tennis players…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/no-athletes-talk-to-themselves-like-tennis-players-pitchers-golfers/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [Polo is like tennis - you literally have to live it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/polo-is-like-tennis-you-literally-have-to-live-it/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [Life is like a tennis match. If you want to win, you must serve well, return well, play coolly and always remember that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/life-is-like-a-tennis-match-if-you-want-to-win-you-must-serve-well/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Business is like tennis. Those who serve well win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-blanchard/business-is-like-tennis-those-who-serve-well-win/) [Ken Blanchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-blanchard/) > [My youngest sister does not like tennis at all, and she'll be the first one to tell you that, which I find pretty funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-keys/my-youngest-sister-does-not-like-tennis-at-all-and-she-ll-be-the/) [Madison Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-keys/) > [Dialogue is the most fun to write. It's kind of like a tennis match.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-rooney/dialogue-is-the-most-fun-to-write-it-s-kind-of-like-a-tennis-match/) [Sally Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-rooney/) > [Life's like tennis we wait till we're 40 to look for love misplace our racket get our teeth knocked out and God's the dentist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-time-steele/life-s-like-tennis-we-wait-till-we-re-40-to-look-for-love-misplace/) [Chris Time Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-time-steele/) > [“Somebody once said that good conversation should be like a tennis match, with each player gracefully sending the ball back across the net; instead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-j-harris/somebody-once-said-that-good-conversation-should-be-like-a-tennis/) [Sydney J. Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-j-harris/) ## More by Jennifer Egan > [“Behind the desk was nothing but view-the whole city flung out in front of us the way street vendors fling out their towels packed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/behind-the-desk-was-nothing-but-view-the-whole-city-flung-out-in/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I just think that, for my particular personality, feeling slightly invisible is always a help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-just-think-that-for-my-particular-personality-feeling-slightly/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [Between books, I have to throw out everything I did before, because the tools I've used to write the previous book will not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/between-books-i-have-to-throw-out-everything-i-did-before-because-the/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [As a reader and a writer, I'm happiest when apparently mutually exclusive states can somehow coexist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/as-a-reader-and-a-writer-i-m-happiest-when-apparently-mutually/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I teach intermittently, and while I enjoy it, I don't find that it's a calling for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-teach-intermittently-and-while-i-enjoy-it-i-don-t-find-that-it-s-a/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [Like all failed experiments, that one taught me something I didn’t expect: one key ingredient of so-called experience is the delusional faith that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/like-all-failed-experiments-that-one-taught-me-something-i-didn-t/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [“Thousands of solar panels lift and tilt at the same time, in the same way. I clutch at Dad's arm: "Why are they doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/thousands-of-solar-panels-lift-and-tilt-at-the-same-time-in-the-same/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [It was the hat. He looked sweet in the hat. How could a man in a fuzzy blue hat have used human bones to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/it-was-the-hat-he-looked-sweet-in-the-hat-how-could-a-man-in-a-fuzzy/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I was a stepchild in two different families. The hardest thing about being a stepchild is you know that in some way everything would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-was-a-stepchild-in-two-different-families-the-hardest-thing-about/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [“The seconds pass. I know what’s going on because it’s the same thing that always happens: give me something nice, something I love or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/the-seconds-pass-i-know-what-s-going-on-because-it-s-the-same-thing/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I had this idea that I could hire myself out as a person to go on archeological digs and dig, without any training! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-had-this-idea-that-i-could-hire-myself-out-as-a-person-to-go-on/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [At night, the house thick with sleep, she would peer out her bedroom window at the trees and sky and feel the presence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/at-night-the-house-thick-with-sleep-she-would-peer-out-her-bedroom/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I number my drafts, and by the time a book is done, I'll have 75 or 80 drafts of some sections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-number-my-drafts-and-by-the-time-a-book-is-done-i-ll-have-75-or-80/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [Read at the level at which you want to write. Reading is the nourishment that feeds the kind of writing you want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/read-at-the-level-at-which-you-want-to-write-reading-is-the/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I was a stepchild in two different families. The hardest thing about being a stepchild is you know that in some way everything would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-was-a-stepchild-in-two-different-families-the-hardest-thing-about-2/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) [Explore all 358 Jennifer Egan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) ## More Tennis quotes > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [I can play on grass - when I won Junior Wimbledon, that was an unbelievable feeling, I could not believe that I had won…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigor-dimitrov/i-can-play-on-grass-when-i-won-junior-wimbledon-that-was-an/) [Grigor Dimitrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigor-dimitrov/) > [Safin, in his way, is very talented. It is a joy to watch them play; it is tennis of a very high quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-krajicek/safin-in-his-way-is-very-talented-it-is-a-joy-to-watch-them-play-it/) [Richard Krajicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-krajicek/) > [I admire Serena Williams, because, I mean, who doesn't admire Serena Williams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-konta/i-admire-serena-williams-because-i-mean-who-doesn-t-admire-serena/) [Johanna Konta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-konta/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. If the music industry wants to save money, they should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/stop-trying-to-treat-music-like-it-s-a-tennis-shoe-something-to-be/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [Before I got addicted to comedy, I was seriously thinking about playing tennis full time. I joined the tennis team and played with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/before-i-got-addicted-to-comedy-i-was-seriously-thinking-about/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [I'd much rather people knew me as a good tennis player than as an aboriginal who happens to play good tennis. Of course I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/i-d-much-rather-people-knew-me-as-a-good-tennis-player-than-as-an/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) > [In a sport that's as close as tennis, I feel like anything that you can do to give yourself an edge is definitely worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-anderson/in-a-sport-that-s-as-close-as-tennis-i-feel-like-anything-that-you/) [Kevin Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-anderson/) > [A great tennis career is something that a 15-year-old normally doesn't have. I hope my example helps other teens believe they can accomplish things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/a-great-tennis-career-is-something-that-a-15-year-old-normally-doesn/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [If I weren't a tennis player, I'd probably be a psychologist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-ivanovic/if-i-weren-t-a-tennis-player-i-d-probably-be-a-psychologist/) [Ana Ivanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-ivanovic/) > [I dislike the gym, but I'll chase a tennis ball all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-kuchar/i-dislike-the-gym-but-i-ll-chase-a-tennis-ball-all-day/) [Matt Kuchar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-kuchar/) > [The very first tournament I watched is the U.S. Open when I was 13. And that was the year Juli Inkster won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yani-tseng/the-very-first-tournament-i-watched-is-the-u-s-open-when-i-was-13-and/) [Yani Tseng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yani-tseng/) > [It's exciting for me that when they think of tall players they think of big serve and forehand but they don't move that well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-draper/it-s-exciting-for-me-that-when-they-think-of-tall-players-they-think/) [Jack Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-draper/) [Browse all 3,136 Tennis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But Stephanie hailed from suburban, midwestern nowhere, and there had been a club whose snack bar served thin, greasy burgers rather than salade niçoise with fresh seared tuna, like this one, but where tennis had been played on sun-cracked courts, and where Stephanie had achieved a certain greatness at around age thirteen. She hadn’t played since.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Egan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwestern-nowhere-and-there-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Tennis" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwestern-nowhere-and-there-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/jennifer-egan-825_tennis_but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwe_847420.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/jennifer-egan-825_tennis_but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwe_847420.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/jennifer-egan-825_tennis_but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwe_847420.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But Stephanie hailed from suburban, midwestern nowhere, and there had been a club whose snack bar served…” — Jennifer Egan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jennifer Egan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But Stephanie hailed from suburban, midwestern...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwestern-nowhere-and-there-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/but-stephanie-hailed-from-suburban-midwestern-nowhere-and-there-had/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```