I think the closest thing I can come to defining what that vital thing is for me - is that there's a sort of soul-quality in writing, if it's any goo…

- Mary Gaitskill

The only way to know whats possible is to venture past impossible.

- Mary Gaitskill

Of course there’s something there; unfortunately, there’s always something ‘there.’ Something you will one day be sorry you saw.

- Mary Gaitskill

The art of integrating the ego and the impulse for empathy in a dynamic call and response.

- Mary Gaitskill

I think people try to make the most of their time on earth and also to fix their time on earth. They try to fix external verities, things that are tr…

- Mary Gaitskill

The best definition I've heard is that guilt is about what you've done, shame is about who you are. If something's out of my control, I don't feel sh…

- Mary Gaitskill

My ambition was to live like music.

- Mary Gaitskill

I think if a woman is very happy with herself and at ease with her choices, it goes a long way toward making other people feel at ease with her.

- Mary Gaitskill

You can teach people a lot about craft and various techniques, and you can certainly teach them to appreciate, but you cannot give them spirit or sou…

- Mary Gaitskill