I showed up in October 1946, part of an early surge that would become a great nationwide baby boom. My sister Kathy was born a year later. Tim O'Brien babybearboom Change image and share on social
Stories are not explanations of the world we live in. Science does that, and math does that. Our obligation as fiction writers is to enhance the mysteries. Tim O'Brien enhanceexplanationfiction Change image and share on social
My life is storytelling. I believe in stories, in their incredible power to keep people alive, to keep the living alive, and the dead. Tim O'Brien alivedeadincredible Change image and share on social
I think I'm a pretty moral guy, a very moral guy, but I'm not perfect. Tim O'Brien guymoralperfect Change image and share on social
Place is so important to me. The Midwest is like a ghost in my life. It's present as I look out the window now. I see Texas, but if I close my eyes and look out the same window, I'm back in my hometown in Worthington, Minnesota, and I cherish those values and that diction. Tim O'Brien backcherishclose share on social
Is the Mona Lisa an 'accurate' representation of the actual human model for the painting? Who knows? Who cares? It's a great piece of art. It moves us. It makes us wonder, makes us gape - finally makes us look inward at ourselves. Tim O'Brien accurateactualart share on social
In the summer of 1954, after several years in Austin, Minnesota, our family moved across the state to the small, rural town of Worthington, where my dad became regional manager for a life insurance company. To me, at age 7, Worthington seemed a perfectly splendid spot on the earth. Tim O'Brien ageaustincompany share on social
No matter how wonderful the story, it has to move on something, and that is language. The words that I use, the pace, the rhythm and cadences all need to be there. If they're not there, the story is like a boat that just sits there and doesn't move on the ocean. Tim O'Brien boatcadencelanguage share on social
