Dennis Lehane quotes - page 2

Hate came in a maelstrom, and we called it several things-racism, pedophilia, justice, righteousness-but all those words were just ribbons and wrapping paper on a soiled gift that no one wanted to open. (Dennis Lehane)
There are so many more important things to worry about than how you're perceived by strangers. View quote
Dennis Lehane
It's hard to close the door on optimistic expectations when you love someone. View quote
Dennis Lehane
When I was young, I asked my priest how to get to heaven and still protect yourself from all the evil in the world. He told me what God told His children;'You are sheep among wolves, be wise as the serpent, yet innocent as doves. View quote
Dennis Lehane
It's good not only to realize that you can't please all of the people all of the time, but that you don't want to. There's a certain type of reader that you don't ever want to write for. View quote
Dennis Lehane
Narrative becomes the way you make sense of chaos. That's how you focus the world. It's the only reason you should ever try this writing job. View quote
Dennis Lehane
The best thing that can happen to people entering creative professions is the dwindling of all other possibilities. View quote
Dennis Lehane
Don't get me wrong, I love literary fiction. It's faux literary fiction I can't stand. View quote
Dennis Lehane
I was not going to use writing for advertising or journalism. I would tend bar, load trucks, chauffeur - do whatever it took. But from the moment I took my first writing workshop, I was a writer. View quote
Dennis Lehane
I sort of play golf because a lot of my friends are into it, but I'm awful - my handicap is about six or seven thousand. View quote
Dennis Lehane
I was blessed to grow up in really interesting times and to go back to a home where I was very safe. (Dennis Lehane)
I won the parental lottery. Most of the kids I grew up with either came from really fractured homes, or really violent ones. I went home to a very traditional, good Irish Catholic family. View quote
Dennis Lehane
People surprise you sometimes. View quote
Dennis Lehane
I found that I could write two kinds of short stories: I could write very absurd, kind of surrealistic, funny stories; or I could write very dark, realistic - hyper-realistic - stories. I was never happy with that, because I couldn't meld the two. View quote
Dennis Lehane
I believe so deeply in the primacy of language, in lifting your prose to the highest level you're capable of and making your words symphonic. View quote
Dennis Lehane