For African-American people, I am in the business of inventing a reality that gives a different perspective - on history, on crime, on art, on love. John Edgar Wideman africanamericanart Change image and share on social
I don't make that hard and fast distinction between political and nonpolitical writing. I write about what bothers me. John Edgar Wideman botherdistinctionfast Change image and share on social
The primary thing writing and basketball share is the sense that each time you go out, each time you play or begin a piece, it's a new day. You can score 40 points one game, but the next game, those points don't count. You can win the Nobel Literature Prize, but that doesn't make the next sentence of the next book appear. John Edgar Wideman basketballbeginbook share on social
My particular lifetime, my individual profile, represents something very basic to African-American history and culture because I was a second generation immigrant, so to speak, from the South. My grandfather was born in South Carolina - well, both grandfathers were born in the South. John Edgar Wideman africanamericanbasic share on social
When I wake up in the morning, I need the writing to go to. I begin there. And that's not an accident, I mean, that habit of getting up in the morning and going to my writing first thing. John Edgar Wideman accidentbeginhabit Change image and share on social
All my life, I've been very aware of my body. I have always used it as a gauge of things. When I look at a person, and I see their body, that's the beginning of knowledge about them. Furthermore, I respect the body. John Edgar Wideman awarebeginbody share on social
Writers transform: they throw a hand grenade into the notion of reality that people carry around in their heads. That's very dangerous, very destructive, but not to do it means you are satisfied with the status quo - and that's a kind of danger as well, because a kind of violence is already being perpetuated. John Edgar Wideman carrydangerdangerous share on social
I feel compelled not to pass on a vision of bleakness, destruction or cynicism. I want to tell the truth as I see it, but I also have to believe that individuals - my kids, your kids, whoever - can do something about it, and I want to show the ways in which they can do something about it. John Edgar Wideman bleaknesscompelcynicism share on social
I don't understand why black people have been so quiescent, so passive over the hundreds of years of American history. Why hasn't there been more violence, more armed struggle? I know answers to some of that, but it seems to me it's an issue of faith, an abiding faith in some sort of great beyond, or great spirit, or even in the American dream. John Edgar Wideman abideamericananswer share on social
Home wasn't so much a house as people, family. John Edgar Wideman familyhomehouse Change image and share on social