John Jakes Quotations

Losing innocence. Remembering Heaven. That was the essence of Hell

The first treasure California began to surrender after the Gold Rush as the oldest: her land.

No writer should minimize the factor that affects everyone, but is beyond control: luck.

Guilty she might be. But what human being was not? There were things in her past she needn't be ashamed of, things to be proud of; she wouldn't surrender so meekly to a condemning judgment.

Spend as much time as you can with your mouth shut and your eyes and ears open.

Libraries are magical places. There's nothing quite like strolling the hushed aisles, letting your eye rove along dimly lit shelves. Each spine, each title, seems to beckon with a promise of incredible wonders, surprises, and adventures.

Be persistent. Editors change; tastes change; editorial markets change. Too many beginning writers give up too easily.

The pain comes from knowing that we have never been safe, and therefore will never be safe again. It comes from knowing we can never be so ignorant again. It comes from knowing we can never be children again. Losing innocence. Remembering heaven. That was the essence of hell.

Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.

I have always had a special affinity for libraries and librarians, for the most obvious reasons. I love books. (One of my first Jobs was shelving books at a branch of the Chicago Public Library.) Libraries are a pillar of any society. I believe our lack of attention to funding and caring for them properly in the United States has a direct bearing on problems of literacy, productivity, and our inability to compete in today's world. Libraries are everyman's free university.