Latest Tama Janowitz Quotes from Interviews

• If you want to write about a person who isn't nice, people say, "This is a bad book. It's about somebody I couldn't stand." But that's not the point. You don't have to like a character to like a book. Most of the time, people would misjudge and say, "I didn't like the book." No, you didn't like the character. That doesn't make it any less interesting of a book. In fact, to me, it makes it more interesting.

  Tama Janowitz

  Nice, Book, Writing

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• Why would I want to read something about somebody that's just a really nice, decent person who overcomes terrible trials? That's not how life is to me.

  Tama Janowitz

  Nice, Overcoming, Trials

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• I think powerful women don't care whether or not they're liked.

  Tama Janowitz

  Powerful, Thinking, Care

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• In my writing I wanted to be liked for writing really unlikeable stuff. There were books that people, particularly women, hated so much. They said, "I threw it against the wall!" Which, in my opinion, was a compliment. Because it's very hard to get somebody to throw something.

  Tama Janowitz

  Wall, Book, Writing

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• I'm writing what I want to write. But it's almost an act of rebellion on my part. Because as a person, I've always wanted to be very likeable, and I think that's a horrible thing, particularly for women. You're always like, "Oh, I hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings. I hope they like me!" And that's just so stupid.

  Tama Janowitz

  Hurt, Stupid, Writing

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• The novel is never really in the first draft. The novel really happens in the revisions.

  Tama Janowitz

  Revision, Firsts, Novel

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• I think it's true about people now being closer to their parents, since the '60s, really. The parents are no longer from a different planet, the 1950s ideas of American family. We could be friends with our parents. After the '60s, it wasn't like a person smoking pot was what the parents would be appalled at.

  Tama Janowitz

  Thinking, Ideas, People

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• Most of my life is just spent lying in bed. I mean, it's enough pressure to write the words. Do I need to use the additional energy exerted by sitting up?

  Tama Janowitz

  Lying, Writing, Mean

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• Fame is really great in a lot of ways, you know? People are a lot nicer to you. Like, the more famous you are, the more free presents you get. And invitations to really amazing things.

  Tama Janowitz

  People, Way, Fame

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• If you want to be a writer, all you need is a piece of paper and a pencil, and I had a manual typewriter. It doesn't cost money to write. It costs money to make art. So I would just write. I would hand out stories in the classes in high school. And the teacher would say, "Whatever you do, don't become a writer."

  Tama Janowitz

  Teacher, Art, Writing

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• I think it's more difficult writing what it's like to be a child. You can pretend you know what it's like, but you don't really know. The only parts I can remember is that the adults were like, "Aren't they cute?" But when you're little you're looking at the other kids like they're your colleagues. They're not like, "Oh, we're all cute little kids." They're more like your office acquaintances. It's very hard to grasp the memories of what it actually was like to be a kid.

  Tama Janowitz

  Cute, Children, Memories

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• The older a woman gets, the more invisible you become.

  Tama Janowitz

  Invisible

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• I think in a lot of ways, writing, when you're really in there, is like being an actress because you're in somebody else's head.

  Tama Janowitz

  Writing, Thinking, Way

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com

• Whether you're acting or you're writing, your skin is just basically ripped off and you're putting yourself out there. At least the acting part comes with a bit more social interaction. And you're a bit less isolated because you are working with the director and the crew, and there's a general camaraderie. Writing, you're totally isolated. You're just trying to get the words on paper.

  Tama Janowitz

  Writing, Acting, Skins

  Source: www.interviewmagazine.com