Quotes by T. C. Boyle

Its just my natural way - to be funny. I dont know why that is. But as Ive said, humor is a quick cover for shock, horror, confusion. The critics hate funny writers for the most part. They think funny is not serious, but I think that funny can be even more serious than nonfunny. And it can be more affecting, too.

Its hard to say how certain stories just punch us in the heart and the brain at the same time at the end. I suppose thats what were all looking for. But each story has its own valence, its own way of saying goodbye to you.

Books are up against TV and movies and video games and a multimedia society that is so busy that people dont have contemplative time any more. I worry deeply about this. In fact, I worry about everything all the time. I used to be a punk. All I wanted to do was tear everything down, and that was so much easier.

Ive never really been met with indifference, where they say, Who cares? I think thats what good art is supposed to do. Its not supposed to make you feel good about your own prejudices and your own values; its supposed to open you up in some way and get you outraged or make you happy or make you sad or whatever its going to do.