16 Quotes by Irmgard Keun

A writer in the act of writing must fear neither his own words nor anything else in the world. A writer who is afraid is no true writer.

And I think it will be a good thing if I write everything down, because I’m an unusual person. I don’t mean a diary – that’s ridiculous for a trendy girl like me. But I want to write like a movie, because my life is like that and it’s going to become even more so. And I look like Colleen Moore, if she had a perm and her nose were a little more fashionable, like pointing up. And when I read it later on, everything will be like at the movies – I’m looking at myself in pictures.

Sometimes there are mirrors that make me look like an old woman. That’s the way it’s going to be thirty years from now.

Gilgi is drifting in the river of superfluous feelings. Superfluous? They were once, they seemed to be once. Isn’t she happy? Of course she is. Often. But the hours of happiness come at a high price. The bill is presented promptly. Pay it! With what? With fear and twinges of pain. No, I don’t think the price is too high, I just find the currency strange. Fear – pain! To whom should I pay them? Who profits from this odd currency?

For you being human means being human and being a woman and being a worker and being everything, everything. Asking a lot? Each of us is asked only for what he can give. Woe betide us, if he doesn’t give it all.

I hesitate to demonstrate my ignorance, which is never a good idea, by the way. Because you only get oppressed.

Father thou art in heaven, please make my inside so good and so fine that he can love me. I’m going to buy him a tie, because that’s something I can do. Someone once told me that I have an almost masculine understanding of it. i guess there are situations where having a past is to your advantage. Heavenly Father, perform a miracle and give me an education – I can do the rest myself with make-up.

You can always tell the profession of a girl’s last boyfriend, because they talk the language of his occupation.

Well, I’m not that much into ideals. I can’t see the point of it.