Top Maxine Hong Kingston Quotes - Quotesmemo.com

Maxine Hong Kingston Biography

Maxine Hong Kingston

Maxine Hong Kingston (Chinese: 湯婷婷; born Maxine Ting Ting Hong; October 27, 1940) is a Chinese American author and Professor Emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated with a BA in English in 1962. Kingston has written three novels and several works of non-fiction about the experiences of Chinese Americans.

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Maxine Hong Kingston Quotes

When alone I am not aware of my race or my sex, both in need of social contexts for definition.

Alone, Contexts, Needs, Race, Sex, Social

Humans are basically good. That's why it takes so much training to march march march kill kill kill kill.

Basically, Humans, March, Training

To shut the door at the end of the workday, which does not spill over into evening. To throw away books after reading them so theydon't have to be dusted. To go through boxes on New Year's Eve and throw out half of what is inside. Sometimes for extravagance to pick a bunch of flowers for the one table. Other women besides me must have this daydream about a carefree life.

Book, Carefree, Door, Extravagance, New Year, Work

The sweat of hard work is not to be displayed. It is much more graceful to appear favored by the gods.

Appear, Business, Favored, Gods, Hard Work, Sweat

Adultery is extravagance.

Adultery, Extravagance, Infidelity

We seem to be always on cusps. Women come out of the burkah, the niqab, purdah, the closet, then go back in again. Of course, what we need do is to value the happy freedom of all beings.

Back, Beings, Burkah, Needs, Niqab, Purdah

Gods you avoid won't hurt you.

Avoid, Gods, Hurt

Be careful what you say. It comes true. It comes true. I had to leave home in order to see the world logically, logic the new way of seeing. I learned to think that mysteries are for explanation. I enjoy the simplicity. Concrete pours out of my mouth to cover the forests with freeways and sidewalks. Give me plastics, periodical tables, TV dinners with vegetables no more complex than peas mixed with diced carrots. Shine floodlights into dark corners: no ghosts.

Carrots, Dark, Freeways, Home, Learning, Order

The way I'm going now is to focus on peace, to create peace. As Sister Corita said, "I don't go to anti-war rallies. I go to peace rallies. "

Create, Focus, Peace, Sister, War, Way

When we Chinese girls listened to the adults talk-story, we learned that we failed if we grew up to be but wives or slaves. We could be heroines, swordswomen. Even if she had to rage across all China, a swordswoman got even with anybody who hurt her family. Perhaps women were once so dangerous that they had to have their feet bound.

Adults, Feet, Girl, Hurt, Listened, Wives

I'd like to go to New Society Village someday and find out exactly how far I can walk before people stop talking like me.

People, Society, Talking, Village, Walk

The difference between mad people and sane people. . . is that sane people have variety when they talk-story. Mad people have only one story that they talk over and over.

Differences, Mad, People, Story, Talk, Variety

Before we can leave our parents, they stuff our heads like the suitcases which they jam-pack with homemade underwear.

Heads, Homemade, Jam, Parent, Suitcases, Underwear

What does old look like? Sometimes I am wrinkled, sometimes not.

Doe, Look, Looks, Old, Sometimes, Wrinkled

Long ago in China, knot-makers tied string into buttons and frogs, and rope into bell pulls. There was one knot so complicated that it blinded the knot-maker. Finally an emperor outlawed this cruel knot, and the nobles could not order it anymore. If I had lived in China, I would have been an outlaw knot-maker.

Anymore, Buttons, Complicated, Long Ago, Nobles, Order

You're too young to decide to live forever.

Decide, Forever, Live, Live Forever, Young

It seems that writing chose me. I feel that because I know history, and I know the history of so many cultures; I have lived a large life.

Culture, Feels, History, Large, Life, Writing

There can't be a pure myth, especially when the myth has been handed down in the oral tradition. As the stories are told, they change. If the stories don't change they just die.

Change, Don'T Change, Handed, Oral Tradition, Pure, Stories

My job is my own only land.

Home, Job, Jobs, Land

In a time of destruction, create something.

Create, Destruction, Hope, Time

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