I tend to wait for true stories to mature into fiction. Most of my fiction grew out of a long-germinating real-life situation. Aleksandar Hemon fictiongerminategrow Change image and share on social
I cannot stand that whole game of confession, that is: Here I have sinned, now I'm confessing my sins, and describing my path of sin and then in the act of confession I beg for your forgiveness and redemption. Aleksandar Hemon actbegconfess share on social
I did not intend to stay; I had no experience in the United States - I may have been here less than 24 hours - but I knew I would never get inside there. And 'there' not being America necessarily, but that harmonious mode of living that some people are lucky enough to have in this country. Aleksandar Hemon americacountryexperience share on social
I wish I could avoid the people who have threatened me. My favorite threat is that I will be thrown in the River Miljacka, which is at most knee-deep, with my feet bound in cement. Aleksandar Hemon avoidbindcement Change image and share on social
I really don't feel that any of the pieces I wrote were confessions; there are no revelations about secrets in my life, and actually I have nothing to confess and I certainly do not ask for redemption and there is no reward for confessing that I expect. Aleksandar Hemon confessconfessionexpect share on social
I do have a sense of displacement as constant instability - the uninterrupted existence of everything that I love and care about is not guaranteed at all. I wait for catastrophes. Aleksandar Hemon carecatastropheconstant Change image and share on social
A particular piece of music attaches itself to the piece I'm writing, and there is nothing else I can listen to. Every day I return to the same space to write, the music providing both the walls and the pictures on the walls. Aleksandar Hemon attachedaylisten share on social
When I came to America, I was already a writer, already published in Bosnia. I was planning to go back, but I had no choice but to stay here after the civil war, so I enrolled at Northwestern in a master's program and studied American literature. Aleksandar Hemon americaamericanback share on social
I don't make notes for myself because I either lose them or they make no sense to me at all. I once found a piece of paper with the note: 'everything.' Apparently I made a note to myself not to forget everything! Aleksandar Hemon apparentlyfindforget share on social