Experience that destroys innocents also leads one back to it. – James Baldwin
It is rare indeed that people give. Most people guard and keep; they suppose that it is they themselves and what they identify with themselves that they are guarding and keeping, whereas what they are actually guarding and keeping is their system of reality and what they assume themselves to be. – James Baldwin
We have all had the experience of finding that our reactions and perhaps even our deeds have denied beliefs we thought were ours. – James Baldwin
When the book comes out it may hurt you — but in order for me to do it, it had to hurt me first. I can only tell you about yourself as much as I can face about myself. – James Baldwin
If people choose to live their life in a way that does not confront the more troubling aspects of their experience, thats fine, if it works for them. But it will probably make them uncomfortable if they come up against somebody like me. So they just shouldnt! They shouldnt read my work! – Joyce Maynard