Top 14 Quotes by Maxine Hong Kingston

To me success means effectiveness in the world, that I am able to carry my ideas and values into the world - that I am able to change it in positive ways.

Let my life as Poet begin. I want the life of the Poet. I have labored for over twelve years, one thousand pages of prose. Now, I want the easiness of poetry. The brevity of the poem.

I have found things that I could have done better in 'The Woman Warrior.' But then I thought: Let the work of one's youth just stand.

Hunger also changes the world - when eating can't be a habit, then neither can seeing.

The sweat of hard work is not to be displayed. It is much more graceful to appear favored by the gods.

What does old look like? Sometimes I am wrinkled, sometimes not.

There can't be a pure myth, especially when the myth has been handed down in the oral tradition. As the stories are told, they change. If the stories don't change they just die.

When I am composing, I try to clear my mind of having to publish, or having to sell a book or find readers. That kind of thinking gets in the way.

I've been writing since I was 7, but before that, I was orally making stories.

When I'm teaching, I tell my students: It's all process. Don't even think of product.