You can get sucked into the idea that, 'Gosh, this is impressive. Maybe I should do this. It will look good.' Or 'I'll write like this because it will impress that critic.' Amy Tan criticgoodgosh Change image and share on social
Placing on writers the responsibility to represent a culture is an onerous burden. Amy Tan burdencultureonerous Change image and share on social
I have a writer's memory which makes everything worse than maybe it actually was. Amy Tan badlymakememory Change image and share on social
I don't steer clear of genres. I simply haven't steered myself toward some of them. Amy Tan cleargenresimply Change image and share on social
I think I've always been somebody, since the deaths of my father and brother, who was afraid to hope. So, I was more prepared for failure and for rejection than for success. Amy Tan afraidbrotherdeath Change image and share on social
I used to think that my mother got into arguments with people because they didn't understand her English, because she was Chinese. Amy Tan argumentchineseenglish Change image and share on social
I would never require anyone to read any book. That seems antithetical to why we read - which is to choose a book for our personal reasons. I always shudder when I'm told my books are on required reading lists. Amy Tan antitheticalbookchoose share on social
I wanted to write stories for myself. At first it was purely an aesthetic thing about craft. I just wanted to become good at the art of something. And writing was very private. Amy Tan aestheticartcraft Change image and share on social
I also thought of playing improvisational jazz and I did take lessons for a while. At first I tried to write fiction by making up things that were completely alien to my life. Amy Tan aliencompletelyfiction Change image and share on social
My mother said I was a clingy kid until I was about four. I also remember that from the age of eight she and I fought almost every day. Amy Tan ageclingyday Change image and share on social
