Quote

My sophomore English teacher encouraged me to write for the school paper, and that's what got me started. Suddenly it struck me that being a writer could be a romantic and adventurous position. Previously, I had thought I would be a tennis pro, giving lessons at a local club. I thought that would be a good life, and it might have been.

Jonathan Ames

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Jonathan Ames
Age: 60
Born: 1964
Born: March 23
Author
Essayist
Novelist
Screenwriter
Writer
New York City
New York
Giving
Writer
Club
Writing
Teacher
Local
Good
Position
Tennis
Would
Started
Romantic
Sophomore
Life
Write
Suddenly
Previously
Thought
English
Adventurous
School
Lessons
Encouraged
Might
Paper
Struck

More quotes by Jonathan Ames

Image
I am part of a vast generation of people who perpetually live as if they just graduated from college.
Jonathan Ames
Image
It's hard for me to think of writing a novel, because it takes so long.
Jonathan Ames
Image
Whenever I wrote fiction, people always seemed to think that what I wrote was true, that it was entirely autobiographical. And when I would write non-fiction, they often accused me of exaggeration and fictionalization.
Jonathan Ames
Image
Mostly I have to try to censor myself so as not to write things that will hurt other people, or that will go too far.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I live for coincidences. They briefly give to me the illusion or the hope that there's a pattern to my life, and if there's a pattern, then maybe I'm moving toward some kind of destiny where it's all explained.
Jonathan Ames
Image
The reason it's hard for me to tweet is I don't want to pronounce anything, and Twitter is for pronouncing.
Jonathan Ames
Image
A lot of writing is a form of seeing - putting down what you see in terms of action and landscape.
Jonathan Ames
Image
There's no shortage of material in life.
Jonathan Ames
Image
Personally, I've never had it as a goal in life to be happy. Seems impossible to achieve. Even the Declaration of Independence seems to acknowledge this. They talk about the pursuit of happiness, not happiness itself.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I'm actually much more shy and self-conscious than people's perception of me.
Jonathan Ames
Image
The work changes the way your face changes and ages - it just does. Also, I have very little connection to anything I've written. I move on. We all move on
Jonathan Ames
Image
Oh, God, I don't know what's more difficult, life or the English language.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I've really never written about my relationships, or things like that. I wouldn't want to divulge things that were too private.
Jonathan Ames
Image
As a child, I wanted to be an athlete, a professional tennis player or something like that.
Jonathan Ames
Image
Having a show get canceled is like, 'Oh, you have caviar between your teeth,' you know what I mean? Because you had a show in the first place.
Jonathan Ames
Image
How terrible to be alcoholic. You just want to quietly soothe and maybe poison yourself, but you end up poisoning those around you as well, like trying to commit suicide with a gas oven and unwittingly murdering your neighbors.
Jonathan Ames
Image
There are so many talented young writers named Jonathan, with whom by comparison I suffer terribly.
Jonathan Ames
Image
To write about a place, you have to live there.
Jonathan Ames
Image
For me, books have always been a way to feel less alone while being alone. Perhaps if I was depressed and isolated, just communicating with these authors through their sentences helped me.
Jonathan Ames
Image
I'm on the verge of a total breakdown. Sciatica. Taxes. Cars. Fleas, possibly. It's an absurd existence.
Jonathan Ames