|

|

Advertisements

Miguel Syjuco Quotes

Love and honesty don’t mix Picture Quote #1

Whatever they may say, your story is truly your own. You have a responsibility to it, the way a father has to a child Picture Quote #1

I look at western literature and especially North American literature, and I feel like it gets bogged down so much with all of that, with domestic stories and relationships and a woman dealing with the loss of her husband Picture Quote #1

If I were to go back to the Philippines, I would probably end up teaching creative writing at a university. I wouldn’t be able to write, for I would become too jaded to be able to view the existing situation objectively Picture Quote #1

When I was young, I spent my days and nights trying to impress future generations. I spent them. They’re gone. All because I was deathly afraid of being forgotten. And then came the regret. The worst things of all worst things Picture Quote #1

Perhaps we have stopped ourselves from being invented, from self-realization, by blaming others for our wordlessness Picture Quote #1

Advertisements

...when you hate someone so much, a part of you wants desperately to forgive them. But you can’t decide if it’s because you really want, or if you just want to stop hating. I still don’t know if forgiveness is generous or selfish. Maybe both Picture Quote #1

With ‘Ilustrado,’ I set out to change the way we read literature, and I think I failed spectacularly. In fact, I know I failed. In reaching further than I could, I may not have produced a life- or literature-changing book, but I did produce one I am proud of Picture Quote #1

I have no illusions that my work can rouse the masses to create change, because literature simply doesn’t have that power anymore in my country, if it does anywhere. But I do hope that it can be read by those who are in positions to create change, or that it can at least be part of that dialogue Picture Quote #1

Fiction is a very powerful tool for teaching history. The Philippines was the first Iraq, the first Vietnam, the first Afghanistan, in the sense that it was the United States initial or baptismal experience in nation-building Picture Quote #1

There is that potential of the expats coming back to the Philippines. But sadly they are no opportunities, no incentive for them to come back home. Successive governments have, in fact, been training them to export them rather than working on the economy to welcome them home Picture Quote #1

When you live in the Philippines or a country like that, you develop something of a very thick skin because you’re confronted every day with all of the problems all around you Picture Quote #1

Advertisements

The Miguel Syjuco character is not me. I wanted him to represent my own fears and frustrations and guilt, my own worst tendencies and my optimistic expectations. He’s a cautionary tale for me. But he’s also an examination of the darkest things that haunt me as a person Picture Quote #1

I want to write a book that makes people debate, and makes people think, interact with each other and exchange ideas... I write because I’m engaged in this big conversation Picture Quote #1

I surprise myself that I’m not dead in the gutter somewhere, surprised that I haven’t given up Picture Quote #1

If our greatest fear is to sink away alone and unremembered, the brutality that time will inflict upon each of us will always run stronger than any river’s murky waves Picture Quote #1

I treat my writing like a day job, like my main job, even if for many years I was doing other jobs to pay the bills. I worked as a copy editor. I was a medical guinea pig. I was an eBay power seller of ladies’ handbags. I was an assistant to a bookie at the horse races. I bartended. I did anything I could to make ends meet Picture Quote #1

The Philippines, it has a politics of patronage. Family and favors, in addition to the old cliche of guns, goons and gold, really do still hold a lot of sway Picture Quote #1

Advertisements

We referenced fictional characters as if they were people to learn from. As if real-life people were too nebulous, too private and unreal for us to understand Picture Quote #1

Angry men have little to live for when their rage becomes ineffective Picture Quote #1

History is changed by martyrs who tell the truth Picture Quote #1

Being remembered is all anyone can ask from a lost love Picture Quote #1

It kills me how these days everyone has clinical justification for their strangeness Picture Quote #1

When I was young, I spent my days and nights trying to impress future generations. I spent them. They’re gone. All because I was deathly afraid of being forgotten. And then came the regret. The worst things of all worst things Picture Quote #1

Advertisements

Postmodernism was a reaction to modernism. Where modernism was about objectivity, postmodernism was about subjectivity. Where modernism sought a singular truth, postmodernism sought the multiplicity of truths Picture Quote #1

If our greatest fear is to sink away alone and unremembered, the brutality that time will inflict upon each of us will always run stronger than any river’s murky waves Picture Quote #1

I’m home and safe and filled with the comfort of being somewhere I’ve already been. The ruckus of homecoming is brutally enjoyable and everyone makes me feel like a champion. And all I had to do was stay away long enough Picture Quote #1

Freedom is the only thing we must demand in life, for all other good things stem from it Picture Quote #1

Literature is an ethical leap. It is a moral decision. A perilous exercise in constant failure. Literature should have grievances, because there are so many grievances in the world Picture Quote #1

To be an honest writer, you have to be away from home, and totally alone in life Picture Quote #1

1 2

Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

Advertisements

Text Quotes

Love and honesty don’t mix (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) Whatever they may say, your story is truly your own. You have a responsibility to it, the way a father has to a child (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) I look at western literature and especially North American literature, and I feel like it gets bogged down so much with all of that, with domestic stories and relationships and a woman dealing with the loss of her husband. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) If I were to go back to the Philippines, I would probably end up teaching creative writing at a university. I wouldn’t be able to write, for I would become too jaded to be able to view the existing situation objectively. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) When I was young, I spent my days and nights trying to impress future generations. I spent them. They’re gone. All because I was deathly afraid of being forgotten. And then came the regret. The worst things of all worst things. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) Perhaps we have stopped ourselves from being invented, from self-realization, by blaming others for our wordlessness. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) ...when you hate someone so much, a part of you wants desperately to forgive them. But you can’t decide if it’s because you really want, or if you just want to stop hating. I still don’t know if forgiveness is generous or selfish. Maybe both. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) With ‘Ilustrado,’ I set out to change the way we read literature, and I think I failed spectacularly. In fact, I know I failed. In reaching further than I could, I may not have produced a life- or literature-changing book, but I did produce one I am proud of. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) I have no illusions that my work can rouse the masses to create change, because literature simply doesn’t have that power anymore in my country, if it does anywhere. But I do hope that it can be read by those who are in positions to create change, or that it can at least be part of that dialogue. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) Fiction is a very powerful tool for teaching history. The Philippines was the first Iraq, the first Vietnam, the first Afghanistan, in the sense that it was the United States initial or baptismal experience in nation-building (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) There is that potential of the expats coming back to the Philippines. But sadly they are no opportunities, no incentive for them to come back home. Successive governments have, in fact, been training them to export them rather than working on the economy to welcome them home. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) When you live in the Philippines or a country like that, you develop something of a very thick skin because you’re confronted every day with all of the problems all around you. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) The Miguel Syjuco character is not me. I wanted him to represent my own fears and frustrations and guilt, my own worst tendencies and my optimistic expectations. He’s a cautionary tale for me. But he’s also an examination of the darkest things that haunt me as a person. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) I want to write a book that makes people debate, and makes people think, interact with each other and exchange ideas... I write because I’m engaged in this big conversation. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) I surprise myself that I’m not dead in the gutter somewhere, surprised that I haven’t given up. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) If our greatest fear is to sink away alone and unremembered, the brutality that time will inflict upon each of us will always run stronger than any river’s murky waves. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) I treat my writing like a day job, like my main job, even if for many years I was doing other jobs to pay the bills. I worked as a copy editor. I was a medical guinea pig. I was an eBay power seller of ladies’ handbags. I was an assistant to a bookie at the horse races. I bartended. I did anything I could to make ends meet. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) The Philippines, it has a politics of patronage. Family and favors, in addition to the old cliche of guns, goons and gold, really do still hold a lot of sway. (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) We referenced fictional characters as if they were people to learn from. As if real-life people were too nebulous, too private and unreal for us to understand (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) Angry men have little to live for when their rage becomes ineffective (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) History is changed by martyrs who tell the truth (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) Being remembered is all anyone can ask from a lost love (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) It kills me how these days everyone has clinical justification for their strangeness (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) When I was young, I spent my days and nights trying to impress future generations. I spent them. They’re gone. All because I was deathly afraid of being forgotten. And then came the regret. The worst things of all worst things (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) Postmodernism was a reaction to modernism. Where modernism was about objectivity, postmodernism was about subjectivity. Where modernism sought a singular truth, postmodernism sought the multiplicity of truths (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) If our greatest fear is to sink away alone and unremembered, the brutality that time will inflict upon each of us will always run stronger than any river’s murky waves (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) I’m home and safe and filled with the comfort of being somewhere I’ve already been. The ruckus of homecoming is brutally enjoyable and everyone makes me feel like a champion. And all I had to do was stay away long enough (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) Freedom is the only thing we must demand in life, for all other good things stem from it (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) Literature is an ethical leap. It is a moral decision. A perilous exercise in constant failure. Literature should have grievances, because there are so many grievances in the world (Miguel Syjuco Quotes) To be an honest writer, you have to be away from home, and totally alone in life (Miguel Syjuco Quotes)

1 2