I was always the new kid, and I got to know the language and the politics of being on the outside, looking in. Never being in the clique - always being a student of the clique, a subversive, and I could look around and identify the other guys who were excluded. Padgett Powell cliqueexcludeguy share on social
Writing books is a nice retreat. There's nothing quite like diving into a book for a few hours. That is a big time vacation. Padgett Powell bigbookdive Change image and share on social
I stuff animals I find; I do roadkill. They're strangely fun to have. They're like easy-to-control pets. Padgett Powell animalcontroleasy Change image and share on social
If you're going to write a book that might, in its very best accidental career, sell 30,000 copies, you've got to have a day job. Padgett Powell 000accidentalbook Change image and share on social
They got into fact checking at the 'Paris Review,' and it was mortifying. There was a wrangle about Hemingway's lost stories that nearly killed me. It turns out he didn't lose those stories. They weren't stolen from the platform. Padgett Powell checkfacthemingway share on social
All this is rather pretentious and fey to even talk about, but Flannery O'Connor sat down to write stories. The rest of us, some of us, don't have that kind of wit and genius. We don't do that. We sit down and have some accidents. Padgett Powell accidentconnorfey share on social
Every other year, I was the new boy. I found that the only way to survive was to embrace it, make a little fortress on the outside and to pretend to blend in but not to invest too much because you'll be somewhere else next year. Padgett Powell blendboyembrace share on social
In my experience, great reviews almost always ensure no sales. Padgett Powell ensureexperiencegreat Change image and share on social
Christmas is the season I use to clock failure in life. It stops time, as it were, on the year - where you are in it, where you are in your travail unto the grave. Padgett Powell christmasclockfailure Change image and share on social
If I slip up and receive a good gift, I will not have given a good gift. This is probably a natural law that affects us all and needs a name. The Gift Reciprocal Law. Padgett Powell affectgiftgood Change image and share on social
