Sometimes I want to have a mental book burning that would scour my mind clean of all the filthy visions literature has conjured there. But how to do without 'The Illiad?' How to do without 'Macbeth?' Geraldine Brooks bookburnclean Change image and share on social
I think probably the scaredest I've ever been was in Somalia. I arrived there when the episode that became known as 'Black Hawk Down' was still taking place. The Americans were still pinned down under fire. And everybody else was basically going the other way, and I was the only one putting my hand up for a flight in. Geraldine Brooks americanarrivebasically share on social
I had been afraid of breast cancer, as I suspect most women are, from the time I hit adolescence. At that age, when our emerging sexuality is our central preoccupation, the idea of disfigurement of a breast is particularly horrifying. Geraldine Brooks adolescenceafraidage share on social
If you look at an illuminated manuscript, even today, it just blows your mind. For them, without all the clutter and inputs that we have, it must have been even more extraordinary. Geraldine Brooks blowclutterextraordinary Change image and share on social
And when I'd be reporting in Israel, Palestinians would say, the Jews they're not like us, and the Jews would say the same things about the Palestinians, they don't want what we want. And I never bought it as a reporter and I don't buy it as a novelist. I think, you know, the sound of somebody crying for their lost child sounds the same. Geraldine Brooks buychildcry share on social
There's just so many great stories in the past that you can know a little bit about, but you can't know it all, and that's where imagination can work. Geraldine Brooks bitegreatimagination Change image and share on social
The structure of 'March' was laid down for me before the first line was written, because my character has to exist within Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women' plotline. Geraldine Brooks alcottcharacterexist Change image and share on social
My sentences tend to be very short and rather spare. I'm more your paragraph kind of gal. Geraldine Brooks galkindparagraph Change image and share on social
I can always write. Sometimes, to be sure, what I write is crap, but it's words on the page and therefore it is something to work with. Geraldine Brooks crappageword Change image and share on social
I think that you can honour the sacrifices of a common soldier without glorifying war. Geraldine Brooks commonglorifyhonour Change image and share on social