We wait till now? Now, when we're old men, we get to be brave?
Ernest GainesRead
The Six Golden Rules of Writing: Read, read, read, and write, write, write.
Interpretation
Reading extensively and writing frequently are essential for developing writing skills.
This quote emphasizes the fundamental practices of becoming a better writer. By reiterating the importance of reading and writing, Ernest Gaines highlights that immersion in literature and consistent practice are key to mastering the craft of writing, suggesting that these activities nurture creativity and refine one's ability to express thoughts effectively.
In practice
In a writing workshop, the instructor could use this quote to motivate students to engage with texts and write consistently.
We wait till now? Now, when we're old men, we get to be brave?
I was raised by a lady that was crippled all her life but she did everything for me and she raised me. She washed our clothes, cooked our food, she did everything for us. I don't think I ever heard her complain a day in her life. She taught me responsibility towards my brother and sisters and the community.
...my heart may have been in it but my soul was not.
Everything's been said, but it needs saying again.
Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every word spoken. Everything.
Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?
Because I don't have to be careful of people's feelings when I teach literature, and I do when I'm teaching writing.
Reading fiction is important. It is a vital means of imagining a life other than our own, which in turn makes us more empathetic beings. Following complex story lines stretches our brains beyond the 140 characters of sound-bite thinking, and staying within the world of a novel gives us the ability to be quiet and alone, two skills that are disappearing faster than the polar icecaps.
How can we expect our children to know and experience the joy of giving unless we teach them that the greater pleasure in life lies in the art of giving rather than receiving.
Black children need to see their lives reflected in the books they read. If they don't, they won't feel welcome in the world of literature. The lives of African-Americans are rich and diverse, and the books our children read should reflect that.
Knowledge is taken from breath, not lives in a book
I always set out to tell a good story, to create a character that young people can relate to, place them in a situation that will be interesting, intriguing, eventually suspenseful. But what I find is that after I do that, then there are themes that emerge, which teachers can then use to provoke discussion and debate.
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