Authors I've longed to write like - but realize I actually can't even begin to - include Poe, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Kafka, Daniil Kharms, Witold Gombrowicz, Emily Dickinson, Robert Walser, Barbara Comyns, Ntozake Shange, Camille Laurens, Zbigniew Herbert, and Jose Saramago. Helen Oyeyemi barbaracamillecomyns share on social
I don't feel there's a difference between the real world and the fairy-tale world. They contain psychological truths and, I guess, projections of what the culture that tells them thinks about various things: men, women, aging, dying - the most basic aspects of being human. Helen Oyeyemi agingaspectbasic share on social
I don't have a style. I just try to write what the story demands. Helen Oyeyemi demandstorystyle Change image and share on social
I feel like an old lady; my hero is Miss Marple. Helen Oyeyemi feelherolady Change image and share on social
Sometimes I feel weird about time. Sometimes I feel that it doesn't go in the order we perceive it. There are... repetitions that maybe we decide not to notice because it is simpler. I like to pick up on those moments. Helen Oyeyemi decidefeelmoment share on social
The way that people feel changes everything. Feelings are forces. They cause us to time travel. And to leave ourselves, to leave our bodies. I would be that kind of psychologist who says, 'You're absolutely right - there are monsters under the bed.' Helen Oyeyemi absolutelybedbody share on social
The way I live now is that I only write, which means that I'm very poor but very happy. Everything in my life is the way I want it to be. Helen Oyeyemi happylifelive Change image and share on social
The more forcibly I'm made aware of the fact that I'll never be the kind of storyteller I most admire, the less I'll be troubled by that. I'll probably just become more myself. Helen Oyeyemi admireawarefact Change image and share on social
The way 'The Icarus Girl' came about was by me just basically bragging it with a literary agent and telling him I'd written 150 pages when I'd only written 20. And I think it was when the agent e-mailed me back right the very next day after sending him the 20 pages and asking to see the other 130. Helen Oyeyemi agentbackbasically share on social
I think I started writing about identity, and I used to believe that identity is the story. But now I'm not so much subscribed to that. I mean, with 'Mr. Fox,' it has a feminist agenda as well. And so, as I sort of been away from writing about identity, I still feel that kind of tug of roots and, you know, cultural background. Helen Oyeyemi agendumbackgroundcultural share on social