Novels are not about expressing yourself, they're about something beau…

Zadie Smith
165 citations
Novels are not about expressing yourself, they're about something beautiful, funny, clever and organic. Self-expression ? Go and ring a bell in a yard if you want to express yourself. ✨ White knuckle ride. Interview with Simon Hattenstone, www.theguardian.com. December 11, 2000.
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Women often have a great need to portray themselves as sympathetic and pleasing, but we're also dark people with dark thoughts.
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Novels are not about expressing yourself, they're about something beautiful, funny, clever and organic. Self-expression ? Go and ring a bell in a yard if you want to express yourself. ✨ White knuckle ride. Interview with Simon Hattenstone, www.theguardian.com. December 11, 2000.

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