Literary Birthday – 1 June – Pat Schneider
Happy Birthday, Pat Schneider, born 1 June 1934.
Quotes
- To grow in craft is to increase the breadth of what I can do, but art is the depth, the passion, the desire, the courage to be myself and myself alone.
- Whether your purpose for writing is artistic expression, communication with friends and family, the healing of the inner life, or achieving public recognition for your art – the foundation is the same: the claiming of yourself as an artist/writer and the strengthening of your writing voice through practice, study, and helpful response from other writers.
- When we neglect the artist in ourselves, there is a kind of mourning that goes on under the surface of our busy lives.
- If I tell you my character has grey hair, you will not see her. If I tell you she has a tiny scar at the upper left corner of her lip from which protrudes one grey whisker—you will make up the rest of her face with absolute clarity. If I tell you my character is waiting in a car, you won’t be ‘caught,’ but if I tell you he pushes his fingers down in the crack of the car seat where the ancient leather has pulled away from the seat frame, and pulls up a small coin purse with a faded note in it—you will be mine.
- Writing as an art form belongs to all people, regardless of economic class or educational level. . . . A writer is someone who writes.
Pat Schneider is an American writer, poet, and writing teacher. She is the author of ten books of poetry and non-fiction. She is well known for Writing Alone and With Others. Her newest book, How the Light Gets In: Writing as a Spiritual Practice, was released from Oxford University Press in April 2013.
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