Bessie Head
Bessie Head
Bessie Amelia Emery Head, known as Bessie Head, though born in South Africa, is usually considered Botswana's most influential writer. She wrote novels, short fiction and autobiographical works...
NationalitySouth African
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth6 July 1937
thinking genius cash
I have often noticed that the need for cash and the production of a masterpiece just don't coincide with me. Money will hit me at a big off-period and genius will hit me in starvation, that is, I often get the money when I don't think I deserve it and have been lolling around for days and days thinking the most abysmal thoughts.
attitude discipline people
A discipline I have observed is an attitude of love and reverence to people...
generosity laughing feelings
It seemed to be a makeshift replacement for love, absenting oneself from stifling atmospheres, because love basically was a torrential storm of feeling; it thrived only in partnership with laughing generosity and truthfulness.
children order people
Most people live uncomplicated lives. They have work and quietly rear their children. There is an order and sanity about them that keeps the world going. There is an outer disorder and insanity about my life which makes me a victim. One of the disorders is that they won't give us citizenship here ...
character people suffering
People with really weak characters cause an immense amount of suffering in the world. They destroy whole civilisations.
love-is ghouls feeding
Love is mutually feeding each other, not one living on another like a ghoul.
home skins earth
Poverty has a home in Africalike a quiet second skin.It may be the only place on earth where it is worn with unconscious dignity.
mean sky light
I might really have gone round the bend. I mean people who get visions and see a gigantic light descend on them from the sky can't be all there but if so I feel mighty happy. If one is happy and cracked it's much better than being unhappy and sane.
jesus philosophy lying
The philosophy of love and peace strangely overlooked who was in possession of the guns. There had been love and peace for some time on the continent of Africa because for all this time black men had been captivated by the doctrines of Christianity. It took them centuries to realize its contradictions. ... perhaps there was no greater crime as yet than all the lies Western civilization had told in the name of Jesus Christ.
stars writing building
I am building a stairway to the stars. I have the authority to take the whole of mankind up there with me. That is why I write.
writing authority
I write because I have authority from life to do so.