Robert Cormier Quotes

You can't speak openly about everything.

Political correctness is the the inability to state certain truths because they may offend certain people

Children's authors don't talk down or patronise their younger readers.

It seems to me that not only the writing in most children's books condescends to kids, but so does the art. I don't want to do that.

Now, I've got to tell you: 'In Our Mothers House,' I don't think is for a kindergartner.

There's things that I couldn't joke about but other people could.

Writing for children, you do bear a responsibility to not include overt or graphic adult content that they are not ready for and don't need, or to address adult concepts or themes from an oblique angle or a child's limited viewpoint, with appropriate context, without being graphic or distressing.

Society needs a couple of vents that say what you're not supposed to say.

On my albums, it's as though the parental advisory is built in.

Being politically correct means saying what's polite rather than what's accurate. I like to be accurate.

The world is filled with terrible things that can influence children, and movies have depicted them since time immemorial. Should every terrible thing warrant an R-rating?

'The Bone Season' is violent. There's sex. My little brother keeps asking to read it, and he's 9, so I'm like, 'No, it's not happening.'

Poets have to be sensitive to their audience, but it does not mean that they censor themselves. I realise my audience is diverse. Some will read with empathy and curiosity while others will take offense.

There's always been some concern that adult subject matter should be quarantined from a page that attracts children. Unlike late at night, when 'South Park' and 'Colbert' are on, impressionable minds are wide awake when the newspaper arrives.

I try not to be too profane around children or old people. Other than that, that's how I speak.

Sometimes you have to censor books. When I read 'Peter Rabbit,' I skip the part about Peter's father ending up in one of Mrs. McGregor's pies. I also hid the book of 'Grimm Fairy Tales.' They're just too grim for my grandkids. Reality will come soon enough.

Being Politically Correct means always having to say you're sorry.

Be careful that what you write does not offend anybody or cause problems within the company. The safest approach is to remove all useful information.

If we are going to have to worry all the time that we might offend some students' sensibilities, we are not going to be able to teach in a way that actually matters. We're not going to be able to teach about sex, gender, race, religion, or violence.

We don’t need to ban bad ideas. We just need to criticize bad ideas.

… if freedom of speech means anything, it means a willingness to stand and let people say things with which we disagree, and which do weary us considerably.

I've never understood the use of vulgar language, but the definition of 'risque' is open to interpretation. I suppose I did many things in my shows that could be considered risque... at the time... right up until my 90s.

I find a lot of swearing in films. And I guess that shows my age. But I also feel that where they say those words, they could just as easily have written other words.

'Fifty Shades' opened the door and made it easier to write about any issue that's controversial. It has helped other authors talk honestly.

Free speech is one of the most important things to me, but I think it gets confusing when it comes to offense. Because for one, just because you have the right to say anything, it doesn't mean you have to.