Dorothy Allison

Class, race, sexuality, gender and all other categories by which we categorize and dismiss each other need to be excavated read more

Class, race, sexuality, gender and all other categories by which we categorize and dismiss each other need to be excavated from the inside.

When I was growing up, I always read horror books, while my sister read romance novels.

When I was growing up, I always read horror books, while my sister read romance novels.

Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that if we are not beautiful to read more

Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that if we are not beautiful to each other, we cannot know beauty in any form.

When I saw him speak here before, I could look into the audience and see people who look like him read more

When I saw him speak here before, I could look into the audience and see people who look like him laughing at things I didn't know the references to. There is an intimacy between Chicago writers and the population of this city that I find really wonderful. It's warm and it's welcoming. It's a little like going to a Baptist church. They know when to say 'Amen'.

I tell my students you have an absolute right to write about people you know and love. You do. But read more

I tell my students you have an absolute right to write about people you know and love. You do. But the kicker is you have a responsibility to make the characters large enough that you will not have sinned against them.