James A. Michener Quotes

How would you like it if, at your job, every time you made the slightest mistake a little red light went on over your head and 18,000 people stood up and screamed at you?

When people try to read between the lines - critics, they have a job. Their job is to make something bigger than it is.

One cannot review a bad book without showing off.

Have you noticed how difficult it is just to get along in the world? If you're no good at all in your job, people treat you badly and eventually you will be unemployed. And if you're a little better than competent, everyone expects miracles from you, every single time. Like most of life, it's a no-win situation. And if you dare to mention it, no matter how creatively you phrase your complaints, you are shunned as a whiner.

I think they called me the closest thing to a God of the Internet. But at the end, that article wasn't very complimentary, because the author suggested that I wasn't doing a very good job, and that I ought to be replaced by a "professional." Of course, there isn't any "God of the Internet." The Internet works because a lot of people cooperate to do things together.

I absolutely tore George W. Bush to shreds, despite the fact I knew the guy personally and I actually campaigned for him in 2000. It's our job to just call it like we see it whether these people are our friends or not.

I was trying to write a straightforward book of sociological analysis, or at least cultural criticism, and I failed.

...I'm no longer prepared to accept what people say and what's written in books. I must think things out for myself, and try to find my own answer.

Criticism is like champagne, nothing more execrable if bad, nothing more excellent if good.

Attacking bad books is not only a waste of time but also bad for the character. If I find a book really bad, the only interest I can derive from writing about it has to come from myself, from such display of intelligence, wit and malice as I can contrive. One cannot review a bad book without showing off.

Criticism is a surreal state, like a good drug gone bad. When it's bad you wish it would stop, and when it's good, you can't get enough.

An important job of the critic is to savage what is mediocre or meretricious.

A true critic, in the perusal of a book, is like a dog at a feast, whose thoughts and stomach are wholly set upon what the guests fling away, and consequently is apt to snarl most when there are the fewest bones.

To many people, dramatic criticism must seem like an attempt to tattoo soap bubbles.

Things that people will say to me, mostly, is that you shouldn't have all these books. It's too expensive.

To me, there's a huge difference between criticism and reviewing. I really love reading good criticism of television and film. To me, a critic is someone who analyzes a show, describes it, talks about the people in it, puts it in historical context of other shows like it, compares it and stuff, and then talks about the intent of the show and whether it failed or didn't.

It's fine for people to say, "If you can't stand the heat and if you can't stand the criticism, then just don't use the Internet"; unfortunately, that is not an option. The Internet is where we make our living and where we make our work, especially if we're independents and we cannot afford to not engage, because that's where our business is driving from. It's just not an option.

Everybody in Washington wants one of these jobs studies this book. It's called the Plum Book because the people in Washington turn the pages looking for the plum that they want, the job that they want.

Criticizing lawyers for lawsuits is like criticizing linebackers for knocking people down.

I don't know why people say I'm not supposed to be doing what I'm doing. I'm just trying to do my job. I'm blessed, and I'm glad that I'm blessed.

The more successful you become, the longer the yardstick people use to measure you by.

The hard part about getting much attention is that people start dissecting what you do.

Picking out Vince Russo's faults could be a full-time job for somebody.

I've been surprised by how little criticism I've got. Harry Potter's been taking all the flak. I'm a great fan of J.K. Rowling, but the people - mainly from America's Bible Belt - who complain that Harry Potter promotes Satanism or witchcraft obviously haven't got enough in their lives. Meanwhile, I've been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God.

Picture this scene. A critic arrives at the gates of heaven. 'And what did you do?' asks Saint Peter. 'Well', says the dead soul. 'I criticised things'. 'I beg your pardon?' 'You know, other people wrote things, performed things, painted things and I said stuff like, "thin and unconvincing", "turgid and uninspired", "competent and serviceable,"...you know'.