140 Quotes by Daniel Woodrell

Never. Never ask for what ought to be offered.

I hate to fall back on weird to describe them, but goofy is too weak, and strange sounds too sensible.

I guess it's ridiculously romantic, but I wanted to be a full tilt, sink-or-swim writer.

As a high-school drop-out, I knew I wanted to write, but I wasn't overly confident that I was going to be writing anything serious. I was happy enough with the idea that I could be a penny-a-word guy and survive.

I have always loved short stories. I have been at least as influenced by the short story masters as I have been by novelists.

I had gone to enlist in the Navy, but they had a long waiting list and no need for high-school dropouts.

I rise near dawn, make a strong cup of coffee, wander to my desk and come fully awake by reading something written the day before.

In February of 1972, a snowstorm blew into Kansas City, and I decided to hitchhike to California. The roads were icy, snowflakes howling, and nobody would drive me to the highway, so I humped through the snow and ice and caught a ride with a concerned cop to the Kansas Turnpike.

I didn't really expect to be coming to the Oscars.