Harvey Pekar Quotes

As a matter of fact, I deliberately look for the mundane, because I feel these stories are ignored. The most influential things that happen to virtually all of us are the things that happen on a daily basis. Not the traumas.

I write about everyday people, everyday lives.

We want the big stories, of course, of the great men, but there's as much drama and interest and lessons to be learned in actions that people like us take on a daily basis.

I guess I have an aversion to writing about big events and heroic actions. The everyday has always seemed most important to me in writing, probably because I believe people reveal themselves in how they deal with small details.

All my stories are mainly slice-of-life and rooted to real issues and situations that I have experienced myself.

A lot of my inspiration comes from everyday people.

Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.

Slice of life comedy is something which I enjoy more. These moments make you smile when you think about them. And these moments work for a film as well, rather than slapstick comedy.

The thing is about 'Vida,' we're telling a very simple family narrative. There's nothing fancy about it.

Life is not all about profundity. Life is about little things that piss you off, little triumphs, little defeats. So, you can't spend all your time being profound.

Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary, great minds with the ordinary.

Sometimes I still wonder what my fans look like, but if I had to describe them, I'd say that they are everyday people with everyday needs who need a supernatural message to help them though their natural walk.

Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations.

Most of our lives aren't that exciting, but the drama is still going on in the small details.

My point of view when I make a book or I make a movie is to see the humanistic point of view. The point of view of the daily life of normal people.

I relate to people and roles that are about the arc of human experience, things that everyday people deal with every day.

It's not some big event that creates the drama, it's the little things of everyday life that bring about that drama.

I always liked characters that were more grounded in reality.

Literature throws us many great heroes. Real life invariably outdoes them.

For everyone, there are those moments when you have great days with someone you wouldn't expect to. Then you have to go back to your real lives, but it makes an impression on you.

Normal people with normal problems can be hilarious.

When we hear the word 'beauty', we inevitably think that beauty belongs in a special elite realm where only the extraordinary dwells. Yet without realizing it, each day each one of us is visited by beauty. When you actually listen to people, it is surprising how often beauty is mentioned. A world without beauty would be unbearable.

What I want to do is tell stories about normal people in the American suburbs. I don't write the book where it's a conspiracy reaching the prime minister; I don't write the book with the big serial killer who lops off heads. My setting is a very placid pool of suburbia, family life. And within that I can make pretty big splashes.

Right now, musically I'm inspired by everyday people.

We've had enough of the generals and movie stars. We want to hear about the ordinary people.