I like mechanical things; my first book was a mechanics guide - that was what my parents couldn't pry away from me; that was the blanket. Philipp Meyer blanketbookguide Change image and share on social
You don't make a decision about being a writer. There was a point, aged 21, when it became clear that this is who I am. The choice is how good you are going to be at it and how hard you are going to work. Philipp Meyer agechoiceclear share on social
Nothing prepares you for making art except making art. You have to do it to get better. Philipp Meyer artmakeprepare Change image and share on social
When you take the fact that you're loved for granted, it frees your mind to go after every other thing there is. Philipp Meyer factfreegrant Change image and share on social
When you start to look at Native American history, you realize that, very far from being a peaceful, morally superior people, Native Americans were not that different from Europeans. Philipp Meyer americaneuropeanhistory Change image and share on social
I didn't know much about Texas when I moved there for graduate school. In my first or second semester, I took a class in life and literature of the Southwest, and that's where I first heard about these events along the border in 1915-1918, what Anglos called the Bandit Wars. Philipp Meyer anglobanditborder share on social
I was a bit of a delinquent growing up, a very poor student - I nearly failed several grades before dropping out of high school and getting a G.E.D. But I still read a lot. Thrillers and war novels, mostly, along with the occasional literary novel from my parents' bookshelf. Philipp Meyer bitebookshelfdelinquent share on social
I thought that I would have a huge literary novel coming out when I was, like, 29. I quit my banking job, and I was halfway through my second novel - and I will never publish it, because it's very mediocre. Philipp Meyer bankcomehalfway share on social
There's a reason that all societies and cultures and small bands of humans engage in myth-making. Fundamentally, it is to help us understand ourselves. Philipp Meyer bandcultureengage Change image and share on social
When we think of the myth of the settling of the West, this is our creation myth. But because we think of it as mythology, not as real people interacting with other real people, we ignore the cost of human lives and blood. Philipp Meyer bloodcostcreation share on social
