To the extent that I come from a deeply religious tradition and have been contending with those beginnings all of my life - that constitutes the subject of much of my early fiction. Chaim Potok beginningconstitutecontend Change image and share on social
I think that to a very great extent we are partners with the divine in this enterprise called history. That is an ongoing relationship, and there is absolutely no guarantee that things will automatically work out to our best advantage. Chaim Potok absolutelyadvantageautomatically share on social
But today we become aware of other readings of the human experience very quickly because of the media and the speed with which people travel the planet. Chaim Potok awareexperiencehuman Change image and share on social
A book is sent out into the world, and there is no way of fully anticipating the responses it will elicit. Consider the responses called forth by the Bible, Homer, Shakespeare - let alone contemporary poetry or a modern novel. Chaim Potok anticipatebiblebook share on social
There is in my work a very strong religious foreground and background. In the later work some of that tends to diminish, but it's certainly present in the early work. Chaim Potok backgrounddiminishearly Change image and share on social
Well, one hopes that if you're really related to the core of your particular culture, you have profound commitments to it, and that you are aware of how much you can strain it before you do violence to its essential nature. Chaim Potok awarecommitmentcore share on social
What I have in advance are people I want to write about and a problem or problems that I see those people encountering and that I want to explore - it all proceeds sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, and scene by scene. Chaim Potok advanceencounterexplore share on social
A non-fiction writer pretty much has the shape of the figure in front of him or her and goes about refining it. A work of non-fiction is not as difficult to write as a work of fiction, but it's not as satisfying in the end. Chaim Potok difficultendfiction share on social
I'm not altogether certain that a fundamentalism of necessity has to argue that it is the only reading of the human experience in order to stay alive. Chaim Potok alivealtogetherargue Change image and share on social
It is inconceivable to me that a million or three million or half a million human beings will think and feel precisely the same way on any single subject. Chaim Potok beingfeelhalf Change image and share on social
