James A. Michener Quotations | Page 2

A writer can make a fortune in America, but he can't make a living.

As a writer I have persisted in my uncertainty, alternating between novels which could charitably be considered literature and world reporting which by another stretch of objective standards might be called history.

I had been educated with free scholarships. I went to nine different universities, always at public expense, and when you have that experience, you are almost obligated to give it back. It's as simple as that.

I have only one bit of advice to beginning writers: be sure your novel is read by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

I think the bottom line is that if you get through a childhood like mine, it's not at all bad. Obviously, you come out a pretty tough turkey, and you have had all the inoculations you need to keep you on a level keel for the rest of your life. The sad part is, most of us don't come out.

It was the silent time before dawn, along the shores of what had been one of the most beautiful lakes in southern Africa.