478 Quotes by Pat Conroy

My poor boat poked along the waterway with the blinding speed of a manatee.

We children sat transfixed before that moon our mother had called forth from the waters. When the moon had reached its deepest silver, my sister, Savannah, though only three, cried aloud to our mother, to Luke and me, to the river and the moon, “Oh, Mama, do it again!” And I had my earliest memory.

The most powerful words in English are, ‘Tell me a story.’

If Henry Wingo had not been a violent man, I think he would have made a splendid father.

I never once approached greatness, but toward the end of my career, I was always in the game.

I dislike poor teachers. They are criminals to me. I’ve seen so much cruelty toward children. I’ve seen so many children not given the opportunity to live up to their potential as human beings.

Great words, arranged with cunning and artistry, could change the perceived world for some readers.

I learned that politicians are not supposed to help people. They simply listen to people, nod their heads painfully, commiserate at proper intervals, promise to do all they can, and then do nothing. It was very instructive. I could probably have enlisted more action from a bleached jellyfish washed ashore in a seasonal storm.

I have built a city from the books I’ve read. A good book sings a a timeless music that is heard in the choir lofts, and balconies, and theaters that thrived within that secret city inside me.