--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I write books for teenagers because I…" description: "\"I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ee/sherman-alexie-444_blood_i-write-books-for-teenagers-because-i-vi_3157649.png" --- # I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember… ![“I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons-in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood…” quote by Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ee/sherman-alexie-444_blood_i-write-books-for-teenagers-because-i-vi_3157649.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ee/sherman-alexie-444_blood_i-write-books-for-teenagers-because-i-vi_3157649.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ee/sherman-alexie-444_blood_i-write-books-for-teenagers-because-i-vi_3157649.png) > “I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons-in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.” [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He writes for teens to arm them with ideas, not to shield them, drawing on his own painful youth experiences. **In simple terms:** He gives teens tools through stories, not protection. Key Takeaway Use stories as weapons against personal challenges. Themes youth empowerment writing resilience Mood determined empathetic Type inspirational motivational When to use this quote - high school counseling - creative writing workshops - literature classes - peer support groups Key Concepts Narrative therapy empowerment identity formation Questions to Reflect On - How can literature complement practical support? - What ideas can become protective tools? A Different Perspective Words may not replace real safety nets; some teens need tangible resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Teenagers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-teenagers-1550921/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Epic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epic/) [Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Teenager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenager/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Blood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-blood-866477/) [Write Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-books/) [Write Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-weapons-5694434/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“And there are millions of teens who read because they are sad and lonely and enraged. They read becuase they live in an often-terrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/and-there-are-millions-of-teens-who-read-because-they-are-sad-and/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“As a child, I read because books–violent and not, blasphemous and not, terrifying and not–were the most loving and trustworthy things in my life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/as-a-child-i-read-because-books-violent-and-not-blasphemous-and-not/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-write-in-blood-because-i-remember-what-it-felt-like-to-bleed/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [We underestimate teenagers at our peril. Even the dismissive thing out on the street--look at what they're wearing. Then we'll hear stories about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/we-underestimate-teenagers-at-our-peril-even-the-dismissive-thing-out/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [The most important thing is to write in your own blood. I bare intimate feelings because people should know how other people feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/the-most-important-thing-is-to-write-in-your-own-blood-i-bare/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [“Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood. Write with blood, and thou wilt find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-person-hath-written-with-3/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Of all writings I love only that which is written with blood. Write with blood: and you will discover that blood is spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-writings-i-love-only-that-which-is-written-with-blood-write/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Write naked. Write in exile. Write in blood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-johnson/write-naked-write-in-exile-write-in-blood/) [Denis Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-johnson/) > [“Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood. Write with blood, and thou wilt find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-person-hath-written-with-2/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I write so slowly, I could write with my own blood and not hurt myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-write-so-slowly-i-could-write-with-my-own-blood-and-not-hurt-myself/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“Write naked. That means to write what you would never say. Write in blood. As if ink is so precious you can’t waste it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-johnson/write-naked-that-means-to-write-what-you-would-never-say-write-in/) [Denis Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-johnson/) > [Who taught you to write in blood on my back? Who taught you to use your hands as branding irons? You have scored your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/who-taught-you-to-write-in-blood-on-my-back-who-taught-you-to-use/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Of all that is written, I love only what a person hath written with his blood. Write with blood, and thou wilt find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche-friedrich-2/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-person-hath-written-with/) [Nietzsche, Friedrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche-friedrich-2/) > [“To open the wound To write in its blood―with its blood means your realisation through her― the feel of her absence, like a sail,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-saddiq-al-raddi/to-open-the-wound-to-write-in-its-blood-with-its-blood-means-your/) [Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-saddiq-al-raddi/) > [“Who taught you to write in blood on my back? Who taught you to use your hands as branding irons? You have scored your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/who-taught-you-to-write-in-blood-on-my-back-who-taught-you-to-use-2/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## More by Sherman Alexie > [“He says the earth is an oval marble that nobody can win. He says the sky is not blue and the grass is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/he-says-the-earth-is-an-oval-marble-that-nobody-can-win-he-says-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Now, in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated. Epileptics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/now-in-the-old-days-indians-used-to-be-forgiving-of-any-kind-of/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [Since Jesus was human then he most assuredly farted and burped. And if God did create us in God's image then God must fart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/since-jesus-was-human-then-he-most-assuredly-farted-and-burped-and-if/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“A century ago she might have been beautiful, her face reflected in the river instead of a mirror. But all the years have changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/a-century-ago-she-might-have-been-beautiful-her-face-reflected-in-the/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“In all those stories, I could fly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/in-all-those-stories-i-could-fly/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I don't think there's a whole lot of class literature at all. I think most of that has become racially based, and people don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-whole-lot-of-class-literature-at-all-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [She wanted to be buried in a coffin filled with used paperbacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/she-wanted-to-be-buried-in-a-coffin-filled-with-used-paperbacks/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Is there really a difference between that killing and this killing? Does God approve of some killing and not other killing? If I kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/is-there-really-a-difference-between-that-killing-and-this-killing/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Son, things have never been like how you think they used to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/son-things-have-never-been-like-how-you-think-they-used-to-be/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [My parents banned nothing, though the Christian fundamentalists in my tribe held book-and-record burnings every now and again. So, yes, fundamentalist assholes can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/my-parents-banned-nothing-though-the-christian-fundamentalists-in-my/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Or maybe I could have anesthetized myself with homework and extra credit and binge-reading.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/or-maybe-i-could-have-anesthetized-myself-with-homework-and-extra/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Dear wife, I'm sorry that I am mysteriously incapable of folding clean laundry, but I iron, oh, I iron. Sweetheart, I'll make your white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/dear-wife-i-m-sorry-that-i-am-mysteriously-incapable-of-folding-clean/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“Gordy,” I said. “I need to talk to you." "I don't have time," he said. "Mr. Orcutt and I have to debug some PCs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/gordy-i-said-i-need-to-talk-to-you-i-don-t-have-time-he-said-mr/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“The United States wants all of us to forget the crimes it committed against the indigenous. The United States wants us to forget. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/the-united-states-wants-all-of-us-to-forget-the-crimes-it-committed/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I think that white women are more apt to read laterally. So I think there's some strong identification for women, and their political and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/i-think-that-white-women-are-more-apt-to-read-laterally-so-i-think/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) [Explore all 546 Sherman Alexie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) ## More Blood quotes > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [Don't trust everyone, because one day you will shed tears of blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/don-t-trust-everyone-because-one-day-you-will-shed-tears-of-blood/) [SunShine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/) > [I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-even-my-blood-sugar-is-better-when-i/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) > [What about you three, where are you going?" Even before Halt answered, Will knew what he was going to say. But that didn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-flanagan/what-about-you-three-where-are-you-going-even-before-halt-answered/) [John Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-flanagan/) > [A day without blood is like a day without sunshine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-lee-ermey/a-day-without-blood-is-like-a-day-without-sunshine/) [R. Lee Ermey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-lee-ermey/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“...I wore his blood for clothing, on my legs and thighs and hands: a dry, stiff, brown garment with no warmth in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/i-wore-his-blood-for-clothing-on-my-legs-and-thighs-and-hands-a-dry/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“The sun had burned through and the day had gone from dull to dazzling, yet in the west blask-satin thunderheads continued to stack up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-sun-had-burned-through-and-the-day-had-gone-from-dull-to-dazzling/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) [Browse all 6,234 Blood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. 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