I think there are a lot of rules for women. We have a lot of expectations and a lot of rules for women. So we're expected to march in a straight line, and when we don't, all hell breaks loose.
Roxane GayRead
Everyone else thinks I'm a nonfiction writer. I think it's because my nonfiction is easier to find. But I write both in equal measure. I love writing fiction because I can totally lose myself, and I get to make up the rules of the world that I'm writing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the author's passion for both fiction and nonfiction writing, emphasizing the freedom and creativity found in fiction.
Roxane Gay expresses her identity as a writer who works in both nonfiction and fiction, highlighting her enjoyment of the creative freedom that comes from fiction writing. She suggests that while others may categorize her primarily as a nonfiction writer due to its visibility, she equally values her fiction work for the imaginative possibilities it offers, allowing her to escape reality and create her own rules within her narratives.
Themes
WritingFictionNonfictionCreativityImagination
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, discussing the balance between fiction and nonfiction.
More from Roxane Gay
All quotes βI believe in the freedom of expression, unequivocally - though, as I have written before, I wish more people would understand that freedom of expression is not freedom from consequence.
Roxane GayRead
Public intellectuals are often put in the position of having their words, no matter how off-the-cuff, treated as doctrine.
Roxane GayRead
No one is helped when cultural critics use their voices irresponsibly.
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I have never dreamed of being a princess. I have not longed for Prince Charming. I have and do long for something resembling a happily ever after. I am supposed to be above such flights of fantasy, but I am not. I am enamored of fairy tales.
Roxane GayRead
There has been, and there will continue to be, vigorous discussions about race in America. I worry that little will come of these discussions because we aren't addressing what must be done to change the current racial climate.
Roxane GayRead
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