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When a man is at peace with his gods and ancestors, his harvest will be good or bad according to the strength of his arm.

Chinua Achebe

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Chinua Achebe
Age: 82 †
Born: 1930
Born: November 16
Died: 2013
Died: March 22
Essayist
Literary Critic
Novelist
Philosopher
Poet
Short Story Writer
University Teacher
Writer
Albert Chinualumogu Achebe
According
Arms
Strength
Peace
Good
Ancestors
Men
Ancestor
Harvest
Gods

More quotes by Chinua Achebe

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Most writers who are beginners, if they are honest with themselves, will admit that they are praying for a readership as they begin to write. But it should be the quality of the craft, not the audience, that should be the greatest motivating factor.
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You might as well say that the woman lies on top of the man when they are making the babies.
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The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.
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When we hear a house has fallen do we ask if the ceiling fell with it?
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While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will have become unnecessary.
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I don't care about age very much.
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A child cannot pay for its mother’s milk.
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If you ask me, Now, is it your best book? I would say, I don't really know. I wouldn't even want to say. And I'd even go on and say, I don't even think so.
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A man to whom you do a favor will not understand if you say nothing, make no noise, just walk away. You may cause more trouble by refusing a bribe than by accepting it.
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If you have leaders who are prepared to incite group against group it is very easy to manufacture reasons and excuses.
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If the clan did not exact punishment for an offense against the great goddess, her wrath was loosed on all the land and not just on the offender. As the elders said, if one finger brought oil it soiled all the others.
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A man who lived on the banks of the Niger should not wash his hands with spittle.
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People go to Africa and confirm what they already have in their heads and so they fail to see what is there in front of them.
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I don't like to see mistakes on the typewriter. I like a perfect script. On the typewriter I will sometimes leave a phrase that is not right, not what I want, simply because to change it would be a bit messy.
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When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths it is because we see something which you do not see.
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This is not pessimism but rather casting a cold eye on things. It is only one man's story, and I think that things will go better, but difficulties exist and nothing is served by hiding them under a poetic veil or under a lyricism of the past. I am against slogans.
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I think the language that we use in dealing with one another is very important. And even if I am called upon to bring out some money to support a regime, and I am entitled to say I do not like what that regime does and obviously I am not going to put money there - you cannot really say this is wrong or this is unreasonable.
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The impatient idealist says: 'Give me a place to stand and I shall move the earth.' But such a place does not exist. We all have to stand on the earth itself and go with her at her pace.
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When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk
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When Rimbaud became a slave trader, he stopped writing poetry.
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