William Faulkner Quotes

The artist doesn’t have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews, the ones who want to write don’t have the time to read reviews.

The artist is a cut above the critic, for the artist is writing something which will move the critic. The critic is writing something which will move everybody but the artist.

To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race or color, is like living in Alaska and being against snow.

Everything in Los Angles is too large, too loud and usually banal in concept… The plastic asshole of the world.

Every man has a different idea of what’s beautiful, and it’s best to take the gesture, the shadow of the branch, and let the mind create the tree.

The most beautiful description of a woman is by understatement.

The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life.

An artist is a creature driven by demons. He doesn’t know why they choose him and he’s usually too busy to wonder why.

It’s a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can’t eat for eight hours; he can’t drink for eight hours; he can’t make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work.

A man shouldn’t fool with booze until he’s fifty; then he’s a damnfool if he doesn’t.