Stories are the rich, unseen underlayer of the most ordinary moments. Mary Gaitskill momentordinaryrich Change image and share on social
I believe that the truest parts of people can be buried, and for many different reasons. Mary Gaitskill burypartpeople Change image and share on social
Everyone says 'Anna Karenina' is about individual desire going against society, but I actually think the opposite is stronger: the way societal forces limit the expression of the individual. Mary Gaitskill annadesireexpression Change image and share on social
People sometimes turn out to be almost the opposite of how they present. It isn't because they're trying to fool you or because they're hypocrites. It's because they badly want to be that thing, and so they'll try to be it. Mary Gaitskill badlyfoolhypocrite share on social
I loved to read and would read anything that roused my interest, whether it was below my age level or above it, even if I could barely make sense of it. Mary Gaitskill agebarelyinterest Change image and share on social
Married, you're basically part of the herd, and that makes life easier in a lot of ways in terms of social support. But if you're not by nature a herd animal, you start to feel like you're passing. Mary Gaitskill animalbasicallyeasy Change image and share on social
You can't tell an 18-year-old to keep it down and turn off Britney Spears or whatever it is that they listen to. Mary Gaitskill britneylistenspear Change image and share on social
When I was writing 'Bad Behavior,' I was very, very quiet. I would just sit there and listen to people. And if I was out in public, I was usually quiet, and people tended to assume I was stupid because I was a young, pretty girl who's quiet. Mary Gaitskill assumebadbehavior share on social
Where I grew up, in the Detroit area, there was a really good station. Sometimes you would hear songs for the first time on the radio, and if a really special song came on, somebody would turn it up, and everybody would just stop talking. Mary Gaitskill areadetroitgood share on social
I remember back in the '90s, I used to feel criticized by women for not having children. Like there must be something wrong with me. Mary Gaitskill 90sbackchild Change image and share on social
