Lev Grossman Quotes

I am from a south Indian Tamilian family, so all my cousins are into academics and I alone was in sports.

I think my father, who was Chinese, basically felt if we didn't major in science, we would starve on the streets, so we all went into science unquestioningly. I kind of faked my way through physics.

My mum is very political - left wing - and my dad was in the advertising business. They were both from the East Coast: Boston and New York City, respectively.

My parents always supported me, but I was put to task. My father thought when I sang, I was sharp; my mother was upset when I wasn't in the first line at recitals.

My dad was very strict. He was absolutely the Tiger Dad. You know, 'You got a 98% on this test? Why didn't you get 100?' That was normal life for my brothers and I.

I'm a first-born child of a Chinese immigrant family, I grew up on the East Coast. And I have to admit, I did not grow up around technology.

My parents were typical Asian parents, and they do, like all parents, want their children to be successful. They really encouraged my brother and I to study math and science, and that's what we did as kids.

My dad was always so strict that I was scared to speak to him. Haitian parents are very, 'This is adults' business; this is kids' business.'

Growing up in an Italian family, you use a harsh tone and 10 minutes later everybody forgets about it.

I had a very strict upbringing with my dad and was very close to my mum, who was extremely loving.

My older sister was at the cusp of new wave, and I had older brothers from my father's first marriage who were rock 'n' roll guys, so I was exposed to a lot of popular culture.

My mother was an artist and highly strung, whereas my father was much calmer.

I came from a very strict background, and didn't hear any Jamaican music when I was growing up.

My mom was definitely very strict with me.

I really hate it when people ask me who my icons are. When your parents are Bianca and Mick, you don't really need any more icons in your life.

I came from a middle-class family in Mexico, from a household full of women, in a country that is very machista.

It took a lot to get attention in my family. No wonder I'm an actress.

I was brought up in an Orthodox Jewish household. I don't think I ever had a single discussion with my parents about faith. It was just something gently imposed.

We lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Northwest D.C. I was essentially raised by a Panamanian man and a Jamaican woman. That's why I have such a fascination with Jamaican food.

My mother was pretty much on my case all the time.

My father was strict, but he recognised my ability and got a lot of flak from the church for supporting me.

I think in the case of my father, in terms of the things that influenced me, he never pressed me to go into academics or pressed me to go to a field, and indeed, my behavior was largely to move as far the other direction. I don't think that's uncommon with people with very successful parents.

I come from a very la-ti-da East Coast intellectual family - or so they think.

I come from an intense family - like, we're just intense people. Not bad people or anything, we are just very intense, and I have just always felt like people who weren't like that were just a kind of hiding it, like when I was really young in high school.

My mother doesn't cook; my grandmother didn't cook. Her kids were raised by servants. They would joke about Sunday night dinner. It was the only night she would cook, and apparently it was just horrendous, like scrambled eggs and Campbell's soup.