--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Evidently, there are many great American…" description: "\"Evidently, there are many great American writers. But sometimes it can feel as though American fiction is dominated by relatively linear narrative form..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/katie-kitamura-13105_ambitious_evidently-there-are-many-great-american_1871341.jpg" --- # Evidently, there are many great American writers. But… ![“Evidently, there are many great American writers. But sometimes it can feel as though American fiction is dominated by relatively linear narrative form, with a heavy emphasis on psychological realism. If you limit yourself to a certain kind of American literary fiction, it's easy to forget about…” quote by Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/katie-kitamura-13105_ambitious_evidently-there-are-many-great-american_1871341.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/katie-kitamura-13105_ambitious_evidently-there-are-many-great-american_1871341.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/163/katie-kitamura-13105_ambitious_evidently-there-are-many-great-american_1871341.jpg) > “Evidently, there are many great American writers. But sometimes it can feel as though American fiction is dominated by relatively linear narrative form, with a heavy emphasis on psychological realism. If you limit yourself to a certain kind of American literary fiction, it's easy to forget about the different kinds of books that are being written. You can forget to be ambitious, both as a reader and a writer.” [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American fiction often appears limited to linear, realistic narratives, obscuring experimental forms and broader ambitions. **In simple terms:** Readers and writers may overlook diverse storytelling styles. Key Takeaway Explore varied literary forms and broaden your reading/writing horizons. Themes literary diversity genre exploration creative ambition Mood curious reflective Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - creative writing workshops - academic curricula - publishing decisions Key Concepts narrative structure psychological realism experimental fiction Questions to Reflect On - How can you seek out non‑linear American works? - What barriers prevent readers from exploring experimental fiction? A Different Perspective Not all American fiction fits this pattern; many authors challenge it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambitious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) [American writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writer/) [American writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-writers/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Literary fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-fiction/) [Psychological](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychological/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [There's the fact that American fiction is basically the most apolitical fiction on the globe. A South American writer wouldn't dare think of writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cunningham/there-s-the-fact-that-american-fiction-is-basically-the-most/) [Michael Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cunningham/) > [I've had the good fortune to read a lot of great American writers in translation, and my absolute beloved, for me one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/i-ve-had-the-good-fortune-to-read-a-lot-of-great-american-writers-in/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [There are dozens of great American writers who write about the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-nicholson/there-are-dozens-of-great-american-writers-who-write-about-the-family/) [William Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-nicholson/) > [I love a lot of American writers, but I think that for the most part the scope of what's accepted as great American writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabih-alameddine/i-love-a-lot-of-american-writers-but-i-think-that-for-the-most-part/) [Rabih Alameddine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabih-alameddine/) > [Our great American writers were all newspaper people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gould/our-great-american-writers-were-all-newspaper-people/) [John Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gould/) > [For me, Fitzgerald was one of the great American writers of the last century; a wordsmith, a storyteller, a perfectionist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-littell/for-me-fitzgerald-was-one-of-the-great-american-writers-of-the-last/) [Robert Littell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-littell/) > [It used to be that the highest ambition of American novelists was to write 'the Great American Novel,' that great white whale of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/it-used-to-be-that-the-highest-ambition-of-american-novelists-was-to/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-african-american-writers-who/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [Offhand, the only North American writers I can think of who have come from a background of rural poverty and gone on to write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-nowlan/offhand-the-only-north-american-writers-i-can-think-of-who-have-come/) [Alden Nowlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-nowlan/) > ['Freeing' a literary work into the public domain is less a public benefit than a transfer of wealth from the families of American writers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/freeing-a-literary-work-into-the-public-domain-is-less-a-public/) [Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/) > [James Baldwin is one of the greatest, North American writers of the second half of the Twentieth Century. A prolific writer and a brilliant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/james-baldwin-is-one-of-the-greatest-north-american-writers-of-the/) [Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/) > [I have a well-balanced show. It's 50/50 on men/women, and also African-American/white writers, it's the same thing. I have four African-American writers, and four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wanda-sykes/i-have-a-well-balanced-show-it-s-50-50-on-men-women-and-also-african/) [Wanda Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wanda-sykes/) > [I'm definitely more influenced by European writers than I am by American writers, there's no doubt about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/i-m-definitely-more-influenced-by-european-writers-than-i-am-by/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [American writers, at least those of us who are fortunate enough to support ourselves in the field, are by and large a lucky lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-burrough/american-writers-at-least-those-of-us-who-are-fortunate-enough-to/) [Bryan Burrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-burrough/) > [It's the tradition of American writers getting away in order to see the country - to get a better view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-anderson/it-s-the-tradition-of-american-writers-getting-away-in-order-to-see/) [Laurie Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-anderson/) ## More by Katie Kitamura > [Translated literature can be fascinating. There's something so intriguing about reading the text second hand - a piece of prose that has already been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/translated-literature-can-be-fascinating-there-s-something-so/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [The point about sales is relevant because it suggests there are cultures out there that are supporting and consuming, on a vast scale, challenging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/the-point-about-sales-is-relevant-because-it-suggests-there-are/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [It took me a long time to accept that I was a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-accept-that-i-was-a-writer/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [“life rarely finds its exact likeness in a novel, that is hardly fiction’s purpose,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/life-rarely-finds-its-exact-likeness-in-a-novel-that-is-hardly/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [As a writer, I think the greatest danger would be self-censorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/as-a-writer-i-think-the-greatest-danger-would-be-self-censorship/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [There's a long relationship between science fiction and the 'novel of ideas,' and I think writers of science fiction are able to draw on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/there-s-a-long-relationship-between-science-fiction-and-the-novel-of/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [I write some art criticism, and one thing that's clear to me is that politics is fashionable in the American art world in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/i-write-some-art-criticism-and-one-thing-that-s-clear-to-me-is-that/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [I'm often a little perplexed, when I read a review of a book, by the quotes that are pulled out as evidence of excellent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/i-m-often-a-little-perplexed-when-i-read-a-review-of-a-book-by-the/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [I don't speak any languages well enough to make an expert assessment on writing in translation, but since I'm interested in awkwardness in prose,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/i-don-t-speak-any-languages-well-enough-to-make-an-expert-assessment/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [I think it's poignant and powerful, this idea that if someone knows your name, they have the ability to kind of hail you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/i-think-it-s-poignant-and-powerful-this-idea-that-if-someone-knows/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [“A place has a curious quality when you have only a partial understanding of its language, and in those early months the sensation was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/a-place-has-a-curious-quality-when-you-have-only-a-partial/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [“People were capable of living their lives in a state of permanent disappointment, there were plenty of people who did not marry the person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/people-were-capable-of-living-their-lives-in-a-state-of-permanent/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [I was introduced to fighting by my brother - he's a tattooer, a tough guy - and I completely fell in love with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/i-was-introduced-to-fighting-by-my-brother-he-s-a-tattooer-a-tough/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [I don't know why I write. The honest answer is that I don't have an answer. I wouldn't die if I couldn't write fiction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/i-don-t-know-why-i-write-the-honest-answer-is-that-i-don-t-have-an/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) > [“It was a terrible thing, to love and not know whether you were loved in return, it led to the worst sensations--jealousy, rage, self-loathing--to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-kitamura/it-was-a-terrible-thing-to-love-and-not-know-whether-you-were-loved/) [Katie Kitamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) [Explore all 51 Katie Kitamura quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-kitamura/) ## More Ambitious quotes > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/i-want-my-squad-to-be-confident-ambitious-they-have-to-believe-in-big/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [“Getting rich is easy, staying rich is impressive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-trip/getting-rich-is-easy-staying-rich-is-impressive/) [Don Trip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-trip/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [I am ambitious to do more than what has been offered me. I want to be the best in whatever career I choose and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uday-chopra/i-am-ambitious-to-do-more-than-what-has-been-offered-me-i-want-to-be/) [Uday Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uday-chopra/) > [There are four varieties in society — the lovers, the ambitious, observers, and fools. The fools are the happiest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hippolyte-taine/there-are-four-varieties-in-society-the-lovers-the-ambitious/) [Hippolyte Taine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hippolyte-taine/) > [People who are ambitious - politicians who crave power - think that they're in control of it, but at some point, the movement that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-liu/people-who-are-ambitious-politicians-who-crave-power-think-that-they/) [Ken Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-liu/) > [I'm not ambitious. Not a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indira-gandhi/i-m-not-ambitious-not-a-bit/) [Indira Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indira-gandhi/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I understood early on that I was not the best-looking girl in the room. But I knew my advantage was a hard work ethic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-connor/i-understood-early-on-that-i-was-not-the-best-looking-girl-in-the/) [Erin O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-connor/) > [It is ordained that to the ambitious, who derive no satisfaction from the gifts of life and the beauty of the world, life shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-da-vinci/it-is-ordained-that-to-the-ambitious-who-derive-no-satisfaction-from/) [Leonardo da Vinci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-da-vinci/) > [If Reagan and John Paul II were linked by anything, it was a grand, ambitious, and generous idea of Western political civilization, one in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-applebaum/if-reagan-and-john-paul-ii-were-linked-by-anything-it-was-a-grand/) [Anne Applebaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-applebaum/) > [To talk only about national security, national defense, means to be selfish, ambitious. It is discrimination, isolation. "It is just me. What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/to-talk-only-about-national-security-national-defense-means-to-be/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) [Browse all 1,269 Ambitious quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambitious/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Evidently, there are many great American writers. But sometimes it can feel as though American fiction is dominated by relatively linear narrative form, with a heavy emphasis on psychological realism. If you limit yourself to a certain kind of American literary fiction, it's easy to forget about the different kinds of books that are being written. 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