I deeply respect American sentimentality, the way one respects a wounded hippo. You must keep an eye on it, for you know it is deadly.

- Teju Cole

The energies of Lagos life- creative, malevolent, ambiguous- converge at the bus stops

- Teju Cole

There is an expectation that we can talk about sins but no one must be identified as a sinner.

- Teju Cole

Not all coincidence has to be loaded with meaning. Sometimes, things simply recur because that's how it is in life, that's how the mood gets in. It's…

- Teju Cole

Writing as writing. Writing as rioting. Writing as righting. On the best days, all three.

- Teju Cole

The white savior supports brutal policies in the morning, founds charities in the afternoon, and receives awards in the evening.

- Teju Cole

I became aware of just how fleeting the sense of happiness was, and how flimsy its basis: a warm restaurant after having come in from the rain, the s…

- Teju Cole

Things don't go away just because you choose to forget them.

- Teju Cole

The White Savior Industrial Complex is not about justice. It is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege.

- Teju Cole