Whenever I'm interested in something, I make sure I'm really good at it. Philipp Meyer goodinterestmake Change image and share on social
When novels deal in abstractions, they generally go off the rails. Philipp Meyer abstractiondealgenerally 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
When you look at 'Grapes of Wrath,' the weakest moments are those in which Steinbeck is spouting a political idea directly at the reader. The book's real power comes from its slower, broader movement. Philipp Meyer bookbroaddirectly Change image and share on social
Texas was mostly short-grass and tall-grass prairie when modern Europeans arrived here. It really was a land of milk and honey. But when they brought all these cattle onto these relatively small bits of land, and the cattle were allowed to graze freely, they essentially destroyed the prairie. Philipp Meyer allowarrivebit 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
I just assume that I'll fail at something for several years - that I'll try my hardest and still fail for several years. With writing, that turned out to be wrong. I tried my hardest and failed for about fifteen years. Philipp Meyer assumefailfifteen share on social
You have to believe in yourself and only trust your own vision and instincts. If I'd listened to what other people thought about my work in the first 10 years that I was a writer, I never would have made it to begin with. Philipp Meyer begininstinctlisten share on social
When people grow up in atmospheres of violence or atmospheres of poverty, they don't normally use hi-falutin' language to describe those things. They would describe some brutal event the same way we would describe getting a taxi or missing the bus. Philipp Meyer atmospherebrutalbus share on social
If you're always thinking about someone else's work, about the tradition you're working in, how can you possibly make anything good? Philipp Meyer goodmakepossibly Change image and share on social