Rudolfo Anaya quotes

My parents, uncles, aunts, they always talked about what they were doing, where they were working, what happened that day. Sooner or later, they'd be telling a story from the old days, he recalls. We were very poor, but proud of the hard work that provided what we had. (Rudolfo Anaya)

It is because good is always stronger than evil. Always remember that, Antonio. The smallest bit of good can stand against all the powers of evil in the world and it will emerge triumphant.

Rudolfo Anaya

It seemed the more I knew about people the more I knew about the strange magic hidden in their hearts.

Rudolfo Anaya

I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her [Ultima] I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things.

Rudolfo Anaya

Dreams are important. They are messengers...Characters have appeared to me. They say, ‘Here I am. Tell my story.'

Rudolfo Anaya

The heart of New Mexico is, for me, the people, la gente-los compadres, las comadres, los tíos, las tías, los vecinos...It's the connection and the understanding between my Indo-Hispano cultures. If people don't make that connection, they don't understand New Mexico.

Rudolfo Anaya

I remember the birds and the animals and going down to the river with my dog to play...My grandparents and uncles who farmed in Puerto de Luna were so beautiful, I wanted to keep them around, to contain them.

Rudolfo Anaya

For me it's always been the visitation of characters. Since I was very young l've thought there is a natural creative spirit, a very romantic spirit, that we have within. That spirit seeks expression. It exists in those of us who want to be writers, or think that we are going to be writers; who want to write poetry, to write stories, to jump into novels. But that spirit, that energy, has to be channeled. I think a great deal of channeling for me has to do with the very strong characters that come to me and demand that their stories be told.

Rudolfo Anaya

One reason that I wrote Bless Me, Ultima was because, to me, the people I grew up with were so beautiful, I didn't want them to disappear. I knew a book could be timeless. I knew the characters could be preserved.

Rudolfo Anaya