Literary Birthday – 5 September – Frank Yerby

Frank Yerby was born 5 September 1916, and died 29 November 1991.

Five Quotes

1. Writing a novel is like building a wall brick by brick; only amateurs believe in inspiration.
2. When it was over, it was not really over, and that was the trouble.
3. It is my contention that a really great novel is made with a knife and not a pen. A novelist must have the intestinal fortitude to cut out even the most brilliant passage so long as it doesn’t advance the story.
4. When a man’s in love he wants to keep the one he loves – and cherish her. He wants to build a picket fence twixt them and the world. He doesn’t want it temporary, a secret, hidden. He wants the world to know. The one he loves is somebody to him, not a thing to be taken, used and tossed aside. Hell, I’m not saying he shouldn’t be interested in your pretty ankles and what a nice sway your bustle’s got. That’s part of it too; but only a part. The rest of it is the long years ahead, the laughing together, and the crying, bringing up your kids, nodding together under the lamplight when your heads have turned white, and finally lying together forever in the long dark…
5. Maturity is reached the day we don’t need to be lied to about anything.

Frank Yerby was an African-American historical novelist. His best-known novel is The Foxes of Harrow. He is also known as the first African-American writer to become a millionaire from writing, and to have a book adapted by a Hollywood studio for film.

Source for Image: Fair Use   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yerby_frank.jpg

by Amanda Patterson

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