Amy Hempel Quotes

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Since his mother died I have seen him steam a cucumber thinking it was zucchini. That's the kind of thing that turns my heart right over.

Amy Hempel

I thought, my love is so good, why isn't it calling the same thing back.

Amy Hempel

I meet a person, and in my mind I'm saying three minutes; I give you three minutes to show me the spark.

Amy Hempel

I think of the chimp, the one with the talking hands. In the course of the experiment, that chimp had a baby. Imagine how her trainers must have thrilled when the mother, without prompting, began to sign her newborn. Baby, drink milk. Baby, play ball. And when the baby died, the mother stood over the body, her wrinkled hands moving with animal grace, forming again and again the words: Baby, come hug, Baby come hug, fluent now in the language of grief.

Amy Hempel

For peace of mind, I will lie about any thing at any time.

Amy Hempel

When my mother died, my father's early widowhood gave him social cachet he would not have had if they had divorced. He was a bigger catch for the sorrow attached.

Amy Hempel

My job... I do nothing, it pays nothing, but — you guessed it — it's better than nothing.

Amy Hempel

I sleep with a glass of water on the nightstand so I can see by its level if the coastal earth is trembling or if the shaking is still me.

Amy Hempel

Amy Hempel

Amy Hempel

Born: December 14, 1951 (age 72)

Bio: Amy Hempel is an American short story writer and journalist. She teaches creative writing at Bennington College and University of Florida.

Known for:

The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel (2006)
Reasons to live (1985)
The dog of the marriage (2005)
Tumble Home (1997)

Most used words:

Amy Hempel on Wikipedia

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