Lauren Beukes
Lauren Beukes
Lauren Beukesis a South African novelist, short story writer, journalist and television scriptwriter...
NationalitySouth African
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth5 June 1976
moving thinking jam
Traffic in Joburg is like the democratic process. Every time you think it's going to get moving and take you somewhere, you hit another jam.
fashion skins different
Fashion is only different skins for different flavours of you.
wheels
Can't reinvent the wheel. But you can put your own spin on it.
memories snapshots locks
The problem with snapshots is that they replace actual memories. You lock down the moment and it becomes all there is of it.
secret three private-life
Everyone lives three versions of themselves; a public life, a private life and a secret life.
media wings trying
Shakespeare would have it wrong these days. It's not the world that's the stage - it's social media, where you're trying to put on a show. The rest of your life is rehearsals, prepping in the wings to be fabulous online.
morning news get-up
You have to get up pretty early in the morning to invent the news.
stars believe dna
I really wanted to believe that there were these magic celestial bodies that would direct my life, tell me what to do, and it turns out it's not stars, it's some bits of screwy DNA. I'm just meat with faulty programming.
order trying patterns
There are patterns because we try to find them. A desperate attempt at order because we can't face the terror that it might all be random.
memories forget
Memory is curated. All this paraphernalia you collect to ward off forgetting
interesting plot world
There are only so many plots in the world. It's how they unfold that makes them interesting.
war relentless loud
The future is not as loud as war, but it is relentless. It has a terrible fury all its own.
dream origami disappear
She would disappear folded like origami into her own dreams
twelve cracks ems
So are you an inmate or a rubbernecker?" she asks. "Rubbernecker," I answer without hesitation. "You?" "I'm a screw. Or on staff, anyway. Used to be an inmate. Repeat offender. Crimes against my body. Puking sickness followed by heroin, which led to more puking sickness." I'd be surprised at her forthrightness, but that's addicts for you. The twelve steps crack 'em open and then they can't shut up.