Ernest Gaines
Ernest Gaines
Ernest James Gainesis an African-American author whose works have been taught in college classrooms and translated into many languages, including French, Spanish, German, Russian and Chinese. Four of his works have been made into television movies...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth15 January 1933
CountryUnited States of America
woods pieces earth
And that's all we are Jefferson, all of us on this earth, a piece of drifting wood. until we - each of us, individually- decide to become something else. I am still that piece of drifting wood, and those out there are no better. But you can be better.
writing thinking who-i-am
I write to try to find out who I am. One of my main themes is manliness. I think I'm trying to figure out what manliness really is.
writing golden six
The Six Golden Rules of Writing: Read, read, read, and write, write, write.
needs said
Everything's been said, but it needs saying again.
believe character creating
I believe that the writer should tell a story. I believe in plot. I believe in creating characters and suspense.
brother responsibility thinking
I was raised by a lady that was crippled all her life but she did everything for me and she raised me. She washed our clothes, cooked our food, she did everything for us. I don't think I ever heard her complain a day in her life. She taught me responsibility towards my brother and sisters and the community.
mistake book would-be
Nietzsche said without music, life would be a mistake. To me, without books, life would be a mistake.
country believe aunt
Don't tell me to believe. Don't tell me to believe in the same God or laws that men believe in who commit these murders. Don't tell me to believe that God can bless this country and that men are judged by their peers. Who among his peers judged him? Was I there? Was the minister there? Was Harry Williams there? Was Farrell Jarreau? Was my aunt? Was Vivian? No, his peers did not judge him, and I will not believe.
thinking differences want
I want you to show them the difference between what they think you are and what you can be.
stars african-american stripes
Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every word spoken. Everything.
conscience
I have no more to say except this: We must live with our own conscience.
motivational respect integrity
Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?
hurt order helping
Sometimes you got to hurt something to help something. Sometimes you have to plow under one thing in order for something else to grow.
eye dying fool
We looked at each other, and I could see in those big reddened eyes that he was not going to scream. He was full of anger - and who could blame him? - but he was no fool. He needed me, and he wanted me here, if only to insult me.