I began the way nearly everybody I ever heard of – I began writing poetry. And I find that to be quite usual with writers, their trying their hand at poetry. – Shelby Foote
Im crazy about Grant: his character, his nature, his science in fighting and everything else. But I dont like the idea that he never accepted the blame for anything, always found someone else to blame for any mistake that was ever made, including blaming Prentiss for Shiloh. – Shelby Foote
I think that everything you do helps you to write if youre a writer. Adversity and success both contribute largely to making you what you are. If you dont experience either one of those, youre being deprived of something. – Shelby Foote
I think making mistakes and discovering them for yourself is of great value, but to have someone else to point out your mistakes is a shortcut of the process. – Shelby Foote
President Obama called for a we nation in his Inauguration Address. Art convenes. It is not just inspirational. It is aspirational. It pricks the walls of our compartmentalized minds, opens our hearts and makes us brave. And thats what we need most in our country today. – Anna Deavere Smith