On a piece of prose, you have to work at least six hours a day. I don't know how you can do that and teach and raise a kid and paint the house. Mary Karr dayhourhouse Change image and share on social
Childhood was terrifying for me. A kid has no control. You're three feet tall, flat broke, unemployed, and illiterate. Terror snaps you awake. You pay keen attention. People can just pick you up and move you and put you down. Mary Karr attentionawakebreak share on social
I've been teaching classes on memoirs since 1986, and I've been reading them all my life, and I think that I would like to write a critical book that might have some of those how-to elements in it. Mary Karr bookclasscritical Change image and share on social
Most of the people I write about I'm still in touch with, so I would be loath to make up stuff about them. Mary Karr loathmakepeople Change image and share on social
Success has affected my self-definition in that I have more money. Writers pooh-pooh that idea, but it's a huge deal. Mary Karr affectdealdefinition Change image and share on social
Nobody sounds good writing about your divorce, let's face it. Mary Karr divorcefacegood Change image and share on social
I don't think I look like the pope's favorite Catholic - at least not under close scrutiny. Mary Karr catholicclosefavorite Change image and share on social
People who didn't live pre-Internet can't grasp how devoid of ideas life in my hometown was. The only bookstores sold Bibles the size of coffee tables and dashboard Virgin Marys that glowed in the dark. Mary Karr biblebookstorecoffee share on social
Poetry privileges music and is aesthetically more challenging. Prose privileges information and is emotionally more challenging. Mary Karr aestheticallychallengeemotionally Change image and share on social
