Grace Paley Quotes

If what is communicated is false, it can hardly be called communication.

I should think it hardly possible to state the opposite of the truth with more precision.

Lies are just stories, and stories are all that matter. We all tell stories. Some are more truthful than others, maybe, but in the end the only thing that counts is what you can make people believe.

Nowadays three witty turns of phrase and a lie make a writer.

You who speak languages, you are such liars.

Oh, mercy, I think we're all storytellers, you know. You think of the excuses you told your parents for why you got home late. I just never gave it up.

Apparently, I am a bit of an exaggerator when I tell stories. But I don't call them lies; I say they are better, funnier truths.

I do not mind lying, but I hate inaccuracy.

A good portion of speaking will consist in knowing how to lie.

There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.

… he who makes an assertion without knowing whether it is true or false, is guilty of falsehood; and the accidental truth of the assertion, does not justify or excuse him.

For a ballad's a thing you expect to find lies in.

Fiction comes in all shapes and sizes. Secrets,lies,stories. We all tell them. Sometimes,because we hope to entertain. Sometimes,because we need to distract. And sometimes, because we have to.

Everything we say is a story. But nothing we say is just a story.

The truth of the story lies in the details.

I've always believed the lies we use to make our fictions reveal the truth with far more honesty than any history or herstory or life story.

Gossip lies nine times and tells a half truth the tenth.

The fact is that nothing is more difficult to believe than the truth; conversely, nothing seduces like the power of lies, the greater the better. It's only natural, and you will have to find the right balance. Having said that, let me add that this particular old woman hasn't been collecting only years; she has also collected stories, and none sadder or more terrible than the one she's about to tell you. You have been at the heart of this story without knowing it until today.

If you're not gonna tell the truth, then why start talking?

Just so you know, when they say "Once upon a time” . . . they’re lying

A lie hides the truth. A story tries to find it.

Some of these things are true and some of them lies. But they are all good stories.

Only the right name gives beings and things their reality. A wrong name makes everything unreal. That's what lies do.

Falsehood is a critical element in fiction. Part of the thrill of being told a story is the chance of being hoodwinked. . .The telling of lies is a sort of sleight of hand that displays our deepest feelings about life.

If you've a story, make sure it's a whole one, with details close to hand. It's the difference between a good lie and getting caught.