Jane Smiley Quotes

I love the mystery behind things.

When you pay attention to boredom it gets unbelievably interesting.

Eavesdrop and write it down from memory - gives you a stronger sense of how people talk and what their concerns are. I love to eavesdrop!

I like to be fascinated by the people I photograph. Sometimes I don't admire them but I'm interested in them.

I love watching people, and that's what I do; just go for a walk at about 4 o'clock, and go down a busy street, where you see people coming out of school and you get a glimpse of their lives, what they're talking about.

I always observe the people who pass by when I ride an escalator. I'll never see most of them again, so I imagine a lot of things about their lives... about the day ahead of them.

I'm curious about people. That's what I've always done since I've been a small boy. I'm curious about others.

One of the reasons I love acting is because I'm so interested in other people's lives, and I often incorporate things I hear or observe into my work. I've become a bit of a 'person addict,' and so I like brushing up against lots of different characters.

I'm a big people-watcher. I love it. But I feel bad about it, because I always get caught!

I'm just totally fascinated by people.

Love is three quarters curiosity.

Show me someone who never gossips, and I will show you someone who is not interested in people.

Writers are socially observant. We find people endlessly fascinating, and real life is mysterious. Sometimes it's hard to stop staring at the strut and squawk of my fellow man. They can be quite inspiring. Sometimes it's hard to stop talking to them to see what in the world they're thinking.

I have a natural curiosity for people.

I love research. When there's something that I like, I want to know everything about it. I want to know exactly what was behind it, and where it went from there.

Walking around sometimes, I would love to just be able to watch people, see how they act. Sometimes I would love to be invisible.

I'm fascinated by people in general and what interests them, what it is that someone connects to or what it is that they're passionate about.

I watch people from the top of buses who don't know they're being watched. It's quite fascinating.

I'm a voyeur. I say that with no embarrassment. If I could have a superpower, being invisible would be it, no question. I'm fascinated by human behavior; observing people and seeing how much story gets told without a lot of dialogue, and how much our brain fills in.

I love people, watching people interact. It's a lot of psychology. We learn about ourselves by watching other people's lives on the screen.

I'm still passionately interested in what my fellow humans are up to. For me, a day spent monitoring the passing parade is a day well-spent.

Mystery is something that appeals to most everybody.

When I am fascinated by something, I like to play with it.

I was always such a people-watcher. I would sit on street corners alone and watch people and make up stories about them in my head. Then, all of a sudden, I was the one being watched.

I realize I stare at everyone, especially when I'm walking down the street. I'm just a curious person.