Suzan Quotes & Sayings

The divorce papers remained unopened in the crisp yellow envelope. He had thrown it on his desk without a backward glance. Between his lashes, his dark chocolate eyes burned with fury but there was something else in the depths that she hadn't seen in a long time, passion. — Suzan Battah

In the "Intervention" section of the book we go into that looping from a battery of positions (where healer and sufferer are blurred). I'm very interested in "repetition and revision" (to use Suzan Lori-Parks's phrase) and in the culture's desire to loop or repeat. — Laura Mullen

Aye, without a doubt, he adored her. He would protect her and love her until he took his last breath on God's beautiful earth. What more could a woman ask for in a man? Strength, honor, good looks were a welcome change to the men she'd known before the — Suzan Tisdale

I don't consciously start writing a play that involves issues. After it's done, I sit back like everyone else and think about what it means. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Had he read that first letter, he imagined he would have come for her sooner. After reading the next, he would have been waiting outside the gates of her keep like a besotted fool and carried her off at the first hour possible. By the time he read her sixth letter, he was certain of it. — Suzan Tisdale

Someone yelled at me once, 'You never write about yourself.' People used to get so mad at me for that. But my definition of myself is completely up for grabs. I'm everywhere, just like we all are. — Suzan-Lori Parks

I don't care what anybody says. Stick to the spirit of the play and you're doing it right. It's about embracing the spirit of the text instead of noodling some idea about things. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Daniel?" The throaty question had him closing the space between them, pulling her closer into his embrace.
"The way you say my name, that was the second mistake. You haven't closed your heart yet. — Suzan Battah

Every play I write is about love and distance. And time. And from that we can get things like history. — Suzan-Lori Parks

The writing of 'Topdog' was a great gift. I feel the play came to me because I realized that my circumstances, while causing me despair and heartbreak, also held great possibility, if only I could see it. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Some people think I am an issue-oriented writer, but I've never said to myself, I'm gong to write about such-and-such an issue - that would make for incredibly boring writing, at least to my taste. Creating someone I don't know and her made-up world shows us more about who we are - is actually a better mirror - than if I were to parade in front of you an instantly recognizable person in an instantly recognizable situation. I'm not saying, Let's make it all abstract and weird and difficult and thereby you will know more about yourself. My process is much more organic than that. — Suzan-Lori Parks

My father was in the Army and we moved around a lot, and one of my favorite places was the library. — Suzan-Lori Parks

The plays should have the half-life of plutonium. — Suzan-Lori Parks

The scent of him was subtle, beautifully fresh, and she couldn't think clearly. No man had ever brought out these intense feelings in her. Chris Augustine was dangerous and she could get lost in his arms. — Suzan Battah

Be bold. Envision yourself living a life that you love. Believe, even if you can only muster your faith for just this moment, believe that the sort of life you wish to live is, at this very moment, just waiting for you to summon it up. And when you wish for it, you begin moving toward it, and it, in turn, begins moving toward you. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Their long overdue kiss was interrupted far too soon for either of their likings.
"Well, it be about time!"
Nothing on God's earth can douse a man's ardor like the sound of his mother's voice. — Suzan Tisdale

I knew that I was learning one of the most important lessons of my life: that instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, I should work toward a realization that every opportunity is perfect. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Just as smiles often follow tears, the sun rose full and bright on the morning.. — Georgina Grey

Watson, you idiot. Some so-and-so has stolen our tent. — Suzan St. Maur

The writer has two kinds of faith: actual writing and sitting openly. Have faith in your personal effort or sweat. And faith in God, or whatever you want to call it. Then the voices will come. Faith is the big deal. — Suzan-Lori Parks

I was far too young when my mother passed away. I was unable to have a conversation with her on the matter of consummation. Your mother however, has been very helpful in that regard. She assures me that if you do everything correctly, then I shall quite enjoy that aspect of our marriage. She has also told me that if you have any questions on the matter, seek out her counsel, for it was she who taught your father the proper way to please a woman.

Within the hour she had Graeme's short response on the matter.

Joie,
I find myself asking another boon of you. In the future, I ask that you never mention my mother or my father when we discuss the topic of consummation. I fear now that my sleep this night will be plagued with nightmares.
The hour is now late and I must bid you adieu. Sleep well, sweet Josephine.
Graeme — Suzan Tisdale

The first time I went over to [my director's] house, he said to me, This is a very strange play. I was pleased that he reminded me of that. [He] understands the play [VENUS] intellectually and emotionally and the humor, the funny bone. — Suzan-Lori Parks

My plays aren't stylistically the same. Just being an African-American woman playwright on Broadway is experimental. — Suzan-Lori Parks

I learned that if we embrace what's happening, we are also embracing what is possible - and a road opens up for God to meet us halfway. — Suzan-Lori Parks

My plays are for the kind of black people who relate to funk music, to Parliament-Funkadelic. When those guys get out of a spaceship - the idea that black people are from outer space, there's a poetic truth to that. We are this vast people. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Armani halted, thinking twice about making her way over there, but she pushed forward not wanting to believe something was wrong. There was nothing worse than walking into a nightmare. And Armani just did. The air in her lungs seized when she saw her draped all over him. She blinked a few times, but Lily was still pressing her body all over Rafael.
Armani wanted to kill her, right then and there. — Suzan Battah

Everything I write doesn't appear to be biography until later. I often say that I've never written about anything I've experienced. Of course, that's not true. But it doesn't appear familiar to me at all. And maybe that's because I have to be in a kind of coma in order to write. If it appeared familiar, I wouldn't. — Suzan-Lori Parks

I love beautiful black-and-white movies - anything Bette Davis, especially 'Now', 'Voyager', 'Casablanca', 'Mildred Pierce'; anything by Orson Welles, Truffaut, or Godard; and 'Paper Moon' by Peter Bogdanovich. — Suzan-Lori Parks

And as you walk yr road, as you live yr life, RELISH THE ROAD. And relish the fact that the road of yr life will probably be a windy road. — Suzan-Lori Parks

I will no' be tellin' ye 'I told ye so', but I will be usin' words to that effect." Marcum said as he sat behind the table in his study. "I was right, aye?"
Graeme knew any attempt to deny that everyone else had been right would seem ludicrous. Instead, he paced around his father's study, his mind sprinting from one thought to another.
"As was yer mum," Marcum said as he poured himself a cup of fine whisky. "And yer brothers. They were right as well."
Graeme stopped pacing long enough to glare at his father.
The man sat tall and proud in his chair, a look of deep satisfaction etched on his face.
"Are ye quite done?"
Marcum laughed, a deep, rumbling laugh that made his belly and shoulders shake. "Well, the cook, stable master, and blacksmith knew it as well."
Graeme let out a long heavy breath. "Aye, everyone on God's earth knew but me."
"Aye, ye have the way of it, son. — Suzan Tisdale

For most Native Americans, there's no more offensive name in English. That non-Native folks think they get to measure or decide what offends us is adding insult to injury. — Suzan Shown Harjo

The kind of theater that I do is sort of 'narrative realism,' which I think in the broadest sense is legitimate to say is mainstream. I mean, in a certain sense, Suzan-Lori's plays have had mainstream levels of success. But Suzan-Lori is in some ways not a narrative realist. — Tony Kushner

Being a playwright of any race is difficult, and Lord knows it gets more difficult the further you get from the middle of the road. I don't know what kind of magic my mojo is working, but it's working. — Suzan-Lori Parks

So, we're all in agreement," Armani declared brightly into the tense atmosphere. "Good, let's get this over with. Shut up Rafael, don't say it, you would do the same for me." "That's different!" he snapped. "You shouldn't." She couldn't comprehend his reasoning. "Why?" Rafael blinked a few times. "Because you don't love me the way I love you! — Suzan Battah

While she spent her time in correspondence, Laurin spent her free time with Albert.
Neither Laurin nor Albert, or anyone else inside the keep for that matter , could quite understand the appeal that Josephine and Graeme found in writing.
"Do ye plan on marryin ' the man through letters?" Laurin asked when she had returned from the evening meal. "Mayhap ye want to marry him by proxy."
Josephine simply shook her head and smiled as she went back to writing yet another letter to Graeme.
"How will ye consummate yer marriage?" Laurin asked. "Will ye do that by proxy as well?"
Josephine's face burned a brilliant shade of red as she looked away. She was at that moment responding to a question Graeme had posed on that very topic.
Laurin shook her head and threw up her hands in defeat . "I am goin' to bed."
Josephine returned to her letter. — Suzan Tisdale

The schools I went to as a kid made me wary. It was clear to me that everything was a lie except math. — Suzan Shown Harjo

One could get locked in by the Pulitzer, thinking, 'This is who I am.' Doors open with it, but doors in your mind could close. — Suzan-Lori Parks

When anyone gets devoured by drugs or alcohol, their souls are in hiding on another plane. Addictions are a kind of possession and to recover our true selves, we need help remembering who we really are. — Suzan Saxman

Thems cain't work together, fails together. — Suzan Still

People ask me when I decided to become a playwright, and I tell them I decide to do it every day. Most days it's very hard because I'm frightened - not frightened of writing a bad play, although that happens often with me. I'm frightened of encountering the wilderness of my own spirit, which is always , no matter how many plays I write, a new and uncharted place. Every day when I sit down to write, I can't remember how it's done. — Suzan-Lori Parks

I love my lecture tours. I get up onstage. I have my stack of books and a glass of water and a microphone. No podium, no distance between me and the audience, and I just talk to people and get all excited and tell a lot of jokes, and sing some songs, and read from my work and remind people how powerful they are and how beautiful they are. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Certainly she had little experience of the world (Aunt Cord reminded her of this almost daily), but She had an idea that people who set on by saying Let me be honest with you were apt to go on by telling you straight-faced that rain fell up, money grew on trees, and babies were brought by the Grand Featherex. — Stephen King

This explains why I've been making Recession Tea- letting a teabag steep for half the time it should so I can use it again for a second cup later. — Suzan Colon

I don't read reviews. I refuse to have my ego inflated or deflated by someone I don't know. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Difficulty creates the opportunity for self-reflection and compassion. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Each moment is perfect and heaven-sent, in that each moment holds the seeds for growth. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Societies who do not care for their young people and old people are decadent, decaying societies. — Suzan Shown Harjo

Quality is like quantity, but there's a lot less of it. — Suzan-Lori Parks

What was your first kiss like?"he had asked.
She answered, "I do not know as I have yet to experience such. Mayhap I should find a willing young man to help teach me how to kiss before I marry. With you being such a worldly and experienced man, mayhap you would want a wife who is just as experienced and worldly?"
His response left her laughing almost uncontrollably.
"It would bring me much relief to know you have not one grain of experience with kissing. I would hate to think you were comparing my kisses with anyone else's. Equally important is the fact that I might be drawn and quartered before our wedding day, for gutting any man who dare even think about kissing you. You would, in truth, be saving countless lives by remaining ignorant on the matter. — Suzan Tisdale

See, don't just look. Your partner is so much more than their appearance. It's how kind their heart is, how lovely they smile, how much they care and have compassion, how generous and giving they are which becomes much more attractive. — Suzan Battah

Traigh came to help her dismount, a broad smile making creases around his eyes. "I fear ye missed our summer, Joie."
Her brow drew in with confusion. "But it is summer, Traigh," she told him.
"Aye, it might well be summer elsewhere in the world, but here, it only last three days. We had our summer last week. — Suzan Tisdale

She tapped her chest. "No, I'm not a freak, okay, so could you stop pressuring me."
Rafael muttered something under his breath, throwing up his hands in surrender. "So what am I? What's Karhl, Jayani, my brother, and all the BaSatai? Are we all freaks? Just
because this human has some kind of fascination with labeling you, you believe in it. Be your own person, Armani, not what someone else says you are. — Suzan Battah

She speaks French," Graeme muttered.
Traigh turned quite serious and nodded his head. "Aye, she be speakin' French. Mayhap she learned it from listenin' to ye and yer French friend speakin' it these past days." Though his tone sounded serious, there was a decidedly sarcastic undertone to it.
"Ye knew," Graeme said as he glared angrily at his brother.
Traigh feigned innocence. "Moi?"
Graeme's glare intensified. "Why did ye no' tell me? Why did she no' tell me?"
Traigh smiled thoughtfully and placed a hand on Graeme's shoulder . "Ye did no' ask. — Suzan Tisdale

Some walks you have to take alone. — Suzan Collins

I like to give and get basically anything (I love to read) but especially fiction and poetry. — Suzan-Lori Parks

Armani froze to the spot, unable to move. Her breath tightened in her lungs, shivers of awareness ran down her spine, the sudden energy zipping through her body announcing the shimmer of recognition. — Suzan Battah

you're only yourself when no ones watching! — Suzan-Lori Parks

Love letters? He supposed that was an apt description, though they certainly hadn't started out that way. In the beginning, he looked at the letters as more of a fact-finding endeavor. By the seventh letter, he knew he was well on his way to being smitten. By the last, he knew he had fallen hopelessly in love with her. — Suzan Tisdale