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Amy Tan Quotes


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Quotes by Amy Tan

Showing 61-70 of 83 Quotes by Amy Tan

I don't steer clear of genres. I simply haven't steered myself toward some of them.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Clear Genres Myself Simply Some Steer Steered Them Toward

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I would never require anyone to read any book. That seems antithetical to why we read - which is to choose a book for our personal reasons. I always shudder when I'm told my books are on required reading lists.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Always Any Anyone Book Books Choose Lists Never Our Personal Read Reading Reasons Require Required Seems Shudder Which Why Would

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I write because I know that one day I will die, and thus I should experience as many deliberate observations, careful thoughts, wild ideas, and deep emotions as I can before that day occurs.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Because Before Careful Day Deep Deliberate Die Emotions Experience Ideas Know Many Observations Occurs One Day Should Thoughts Thus Wild Will Write I Can I Write

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My writing often contains souvenirs of the day - a song I heard, a bird I saw - which I then put into the novel.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Bird Contains Day Heard Novel Often Put Saw Song Then Which Writing

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I like to go somewhere where I learn something I didn't know before, like the Dry Tortugas between Florida and Cuba.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Before Between Cuba Dry Florida Go Know Learn Like Something Somewhere Where

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My mother left behind three daughters when she went to America and started a new life. I certainly felt abandoned when my father died of a brain tumour; I felt he had abandoned me to this terrible, volatile mother and I had no protection.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Abandoned America Behind Brain Certainly Daughters Died Father Felt Had He Left Life Me Mother New New Life Protection She Started Terrible Three Volatile

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I read academic books on courtesan culture at the turn-of-the century in Shanghai such as Gail Hershatter's 'The Gender of Memory'. The diaries were mostly in the form of letters from courtesans to a lover who had disappeared or taken their savings.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Academic Books Century Culture Diaries Disappeared Form Gender Had Letters Lover Memory Mostly Read Savings Shanghai Taken Were Who

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I recognise why I have such a strong inability to forgive certain people who betray me. It's chiselled in, like a name on a tomb stone.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Betray Certain Forgive Inability Like Me Name People Recognise Stone Strong Tomb Who Why

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My mother always thought if her mother hadn't left her, she would have been happy. All the problems she had never would have happened.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Always Been Had Happened Happy Her Left Mother Never Problems She Thought Would

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That's part of the character of Shanghainese people. They're good negotiators, they're very persistent, and you grow up in an atmosphere like that - very competitive. That becomes part of your personality: Shanghai personality becomes part of yours. Just like New Yorkers - they're often like that.

~Amy Tan

Topics: Atmosphere Becomes Character Competitive Good Grow Grow Up Just Like New New Yorkers Often Part People Persistent Personality Shanghai Up Very You Your Yours

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Biography

Nationality: American

Type: Novelist

Born: February 19th, 1952

Links

Find Amy Tan on Amazon

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