In the time just before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when Perfidia opens, we were pre-psychologized. There were no concepts of identity, no politics of victimization. Reparation wasn't in the language. Nobody thought about giving the great grandchildren of black slaves so much as $1.98. And all of a sudden the bombs hit, interventionism versus isolationism became a dead issue, and it was us-versus-them in a heartbeat.
James EllroyI want to have enough data, so I won't write myself into thin air, so that I can extrapolate and give you this secret human infrastructure. The only way I sate my own curiosity is to create this from scratch. There must be commanding love stories. There must be great moral cost.
James EllroyI got a woman I'm loyal to above all things, above my career. She's profound to me. I'm quiet. I live in Kansas City. I work.
James EllroyWhereโs your sketch pad?โ I asked. โฆ โI gave that up,โ Kay said. โI wasnโt very good, so I changed my major.โ โTo what?โ โTo pre-med, then psychology, then English lit, then history.โ โI like a woman who knows what she wants.โ Kay smiled. โSo do I, but I donโt know any.
James EllroyNoir is dead for me because historically, I think it's a simple view. I've taken it as far as it can go. I think I've expanded on it a great deal, taken it further than any other American novelist.
James Ellroy