--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I became a novelist because of 'Gone With…" description: "\"I became a novelist because of 'Gone With the Wind,' or more precisely, my mother raised me up to be a 'Southern' novelist, with a strong emphasis on t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/pat-conroy-768_atlanta_i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with_1193115.jpg" --- # I became a novelist because of 'Gone With the Wind,' or… ![“I became a novelist because of 'Gone With the Wind,' or more precisely, my mother raised me up to be a 'Southern' novelist, with a strong emphasis on the word 'Southern' because 'Gone With the Wind' set my mother's imagination ablaze when she was a young girl growing up in Atlanta.” quote by Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/pat-conroy-768_atlanta_i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with_1193115.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/pat-conroy-768_atlanta_i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with_1193115.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/pat-conroy-768_atlanta_i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with_1193115.jpg) > “I became a novelist because of 'Gone With the Wind,' or more precisely, my mother raised me up to be a 'Southern' novelist, with a strong emphasis on the word 'Southern' because 'Gone With the Wind' set my mother's imagination ablaze when she was a young girl growing up in Atlanta.” [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His Southern heritage and a classic novel inspired his literary voice and identity. **In simple terms:** Heritage and literature shaped his writing. Key Takeaway Embrace cultural roots in creative work. Themes identity heritage literature inspiration Mood nostalgic proud Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - cultural storytelling - teaching literature - personal memoirs Key Concepts Southern culture family influence literary impact Questions to Reflect On - How can you honor tradition while reaching universal audiences? - What other influences could diversify your voice? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on regional identity may limit broader appeal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Atlanta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atlanta/) [Became](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/became/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Emphasis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emphasis/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Gone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone/) [Gone with the wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gone-with-the-wind/) [Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother Raised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-raised/) [Novelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novelist/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Precisely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/precisely/) [Raised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raised/) [Raised Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raised-southern-2369075/) [She](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/she/) [Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/southern/) [Southern Novelist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/southern-novelist-3547771/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Wind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wind/) [Word](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word/) [Word Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-southern-1570401/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-girl/) ## Related quotes > [We have, for generations, been trying to be more inclusive of the word Southern. And a symbol like the confederate flag indicates white only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-r-ferris/we-have-for-generations-been-trying-to-be-more-inclusive-of-the-word/) [William R. Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-r-ferris/) > [My mother, Southern to the bone, once told me, “All Southern literature can be summed up in these words: ‘On the night the hogs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/my-mother-southern-to-the-bone-once-told-me-all-southern-literature-2/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [My mother raised me to be a writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/my-mother-raised-me-to-be-a-writer/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [I think it would be a lot easier if I said, 'I feel like a dude,' but I was raised by a southern mom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saskia-de-brauw/i-think-it-would-be-a-lot-easier-if-i-said-i-feel-like-a-dude-but-i/) [Saskia de Brauw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saskia-de-brauw/) > [In terms of my own experience, my dad is first-generation, so his parents were from China, and my mom was born and raised in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillipa-soo/in-terms-of-my-own-experience-my-dad-is-first-generation-so-his/) [Phillipa Soo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillipa-soo/) > [I'm full of clichés - I was raised by a Southern black woman and they had a saying for everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-parker/i-m-full-of-clich-s-i-was-raised-by-a-southern-black-woman-and-they/) [Willie Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-parker/) > [Oh, my, yes. I was raised in this Southern culture where if a guy was sarcastic, that just meant he didn't know how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/oh-my-yes-i-was-raised-in-this-southern-culture-where-if-a-guy-was/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [I was born and raised in southern Utah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/i-was-born-and-raised-in-southern-utah/) [Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/) > [To Southerners like my mother, 'Gone With the Wind' was not just a book; it was an answer, a clenched fist raised to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/to-southerners-like-my-mother-gone-with-the-wind-was-not-just-a-book/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [Beauty is deeper than just what you look at in a picture. You could fancy what you like, but as a woman my mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alek-wek/beauty-is-deeper-than-just-what-you-look-at-in-a-picture-you-could/) [Alek Wek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alek-wek/) > [My mother raised me to be bold. If I do not go, I will spend the rest of my life wondering what might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mother-raised-me-to-be-bold-if-i-do-not-go-i-will-spend-the-rest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I never thought I would be able to play in Seoul, the city where my mother was raised and I was born, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/i-never-thought-i-would-be-able-to-play-in-seoul-the-city-where-my/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) > [My mother raised three kids on her own, so I was taught that to be a working mom was a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-shahi/my-mother-raised-three-kids-on-her-own-so-i-was-taught-that-to-be-a/) [Sarah Shahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-shahi/) > [My mother raised me in the church. I was not allowed to stay home on Sunday; there was no option. I sang in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-harvey/my-mother-raised-me-in-the-church-i-was-not-allowed-to-stay-home-on/) [Steve Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-harvey/) > [I have 10 brothers and sisters. My mother raised us because my father died when I was 8.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/i-have-10-brothers-and-sisters-my-mother-raised-us-because-my-father/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) ## More by Pat Conroy > [A recipe is a story that ends with a good meal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/a-recipe-is-a-story-that-ends-with-a-good-meal/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [Except for memory, time would have no meaning at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/except-for-memory-time-would-have-no-meaning-at-all/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [It's an article of faith that the novels I've loved will live inside me forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/it-s-an-article-of-faith-that-the-novels-i-ve-loved-will-live-inside/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“my folks wouldn't read a book if you put a gun to their dicks. but they read people all day long and always get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/my-folks-wouldn-t-read-a-book-if-you-put-a-gun-to-their-dicks-but/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [Cameras are a lifesaver for very shy people who have nowhere else to hide. Behind a lens they can disguise the fact that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/cameras-are-a-lifesaver-for-very-shy-people-who-have-nowhere-else-to/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [Carolina beach music," Dupree said, coming up on the porch. "The holiest sound on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/carolina-beach-music-dupree-said-coming-up-on-the-porch-the-holiest/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“My memory often seems like a city of exiled poets afire with the astonishment of language, each believing in the integrity of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/my-memory-often-seems-like-a-city-of-exiled-poets-afire-with-the/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“We began our life together at a moment of natural self-pity and defeat that left an inimitable impression on both of us. The rejection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/we-began-our-life-together-at-a-moment-of-natural-self-pity-and/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“I always liked your piety, Jack.” “I’m a lot cuter than the women of your generation,” Betsy said, playing up to Capers and Mike.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-always-liked-your-piety-jack-i-m-a-lot-cuter-than-the-women-of-your/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“From the beginning I've searched out those writers unafraid to stir up the emotions, who entrust me with their darkest passions, their most indestructible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/from-the-beginning-i-ve-searched-out-those-writers-unafraid-to-stir/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“My mother's voice and my father's fists are two bookends of my childhood, and they form the basis of my art.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/my-mother-s-voice-and-my-father-s-fists-are-two-bookends-of-my/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“Over the years, my church gave me passage into a menagerie of exotic words unknown in the South: "introit," "offertory," "liturgy," "movable feast," "the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/over-the-years-my-church-gave-me-passage-into-a-menagerie-of-exotic/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“I have built a city from the books I've read. A good book sings a a timeless music that is heard in the choir…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-have-built-a-city-from-the-books-i-ve-read-a-good-book-sings-a-a/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“Time moves funny and it's hard to pin down. Occasionally, time offers you a hundred opportunities to do the right thing. Sometimes, it gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/time-moves-funny-and-it-s-hard-to-pin-down-occasionally-time-offers/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [“I take it as an article of faith that the novels I've loved will live inside me forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-take-it-as-an-article-of-faith-that-the-novels-i-ve-loved-will-live/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) [Explore all 371 Pat Conroy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) ## More Atlanta quotes > [I never thought I'd be on the cover of the 'Atlanta Journal' unless I killed someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-robinson/i-never-thought-i-d-be-on-the-cover-of-the-atlanta-journal-unless-i/) [Chris Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-robinson/) > [We are creating the new Atlanta, along with Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug. We bring the spaghetti, put it in the bowl, mix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quavo/we-are-creating-the-new-atlanta-along-with-rich-homie-quan-and-young/) [Quavo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quavo/) > [I'm an Atlanta guy. I think Philly knows that. But I've adopted Philly as my second home, and they've embraced me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-williams/i-m-an-atlanta-guy-i-think-philly-knows-that-but-i-ve-adopted-philly/) [Lou Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-williams/) > [When Olympic decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner asked a roomful of Olympic hopefuls if they had a list of written goals, every one raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/when-olympic-decathlon-gold-medalist-bruce-jenner-asked-a-roomful-of/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [If you go to Atlanta, the first question people ask you is, "What's your business?" In Macon they ask, "Where do you go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berendt/if-you-go-to-atlanta-the-first-question-people-ask-you-is-what-s-your/) [John Berendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berendt/) > [It took a qualified wizard to detect a summoning in progress. It required only a half-literate idiot with a twitch of power and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/it-took-a-qualified-wizard-to-detect-a-summoning-in-progress-it/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [I'm very appreciative to the people of Atlanta, forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-horford/i-m-very-appreciative-to-the-people-of-atlanta-forever/) [Al Horford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-horford/) > [I'm a southern girl, and I grew up with this slightly schizophrenic upbringing where I bounced back and forth between Atlanta, Georgia, and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-myracle/i-m-a-southern-girl-and-i-grew-up-with-this-slightly-schizophrenic/) [Lauren Myracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-myracle/) > [I was a news anchor in Macon for a year and a half, and a news reporter for exactly one year in Spartanburg before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/i-was-a-news-anchor-in-macon-for-a-year-and-a-half-and-a-news/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) > [In his study of Atlanta over the last 60 years, Kevin Kruse convincingly describes the critical connections between race, Sun Belt suburbanization, the rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-carter/in-his-study-of-atlanta-over-the-last-60-years-kevin-kruse/) [Dan Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-carter/) > [Atlanta is Exhibit A in my belief that the marriage between hip-hop and sports is a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/atlanta-is-exhibit-a-in-my-belief-that-the-marriage-between-hip-hop/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Atlanta was a welcoming presence for a lot of artists; they called it 'the Mecca of the South.' I got to see the Negro…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latanya-richardson/atlanta-was-a-welcoming-presence-for-a-lot-of-artists-they-called-it/) [LaTanya Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latanya-richardson/) > [I can't be calm when I drive through sections of Atlanta that look more like Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, than America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-mckinney/i-can-t-be-calm-when-i-drive-through-sections-of-atlanta-that-look/) [Cynthia McKinney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-mckinney/) > [Coming from the south side of Atlanta, Georgia, everyone has a chip on their shoulder. That's how competitive it is. It makes athletes great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-coleman/coming-from-the-south-side-of-atlanta-georgia-everyone-has-a-chip-on/) [Christian Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-coleman/) > [I think it's important for artists to work together. It's great for fans to see, like, Ludacris came out to our show in Atlanta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-aldean/i-think-it-s-important-for-artists-to-work-together-it-s-great-for/) [Jason Aldean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-aldean/) [Browse all 416 Atlanta quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/atlanta/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I became a novelist because of 'Gone With the Wind,' or more precisely, my mother raised me up to be a 'Southern' novelist, with a strong emphasis on the word 'Southern' because 'Gone With the Wind' set my mother's imagination ablaze when she was a young girl growing up in Atlanta.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pat Conroy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with-the-wind-or-more-precisely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Atlanta" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with-the-wind-or-more-precisely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/pat-conroy-768_atlanta_i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with_1193115.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/pat-conroy-768_atlanta_i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with_1193115.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcc/pat-conroy-768_atlanta_i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with_1193115.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I became a novelist because of 'Gone With the Wind,' or more precisely, my mother raised me up to be a…” — Pat Conroy", "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": "Pat Conroy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I became a novelist because of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with-the-wind-or-more-precisely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-became-a-novelist-because-of-gone-with-the-wind-or-more-precisely/#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 } } ] } ```