This lunge at moral fastidiousness was something she'd noticed a lot in people around here. They were not good people. They were not kind. But they recycled their newspapers!
Lorrie MoorePleasantness was the machismo of the Midwest. There was something athletic about it. You flexed your face into a smile and let it hover there like the dare of a cat.
Lorrie MooreThe problem with a beautiful woman is that she makes everyone around her feel hopelessly masculine, which if youโre already male to begin with poses no particular problem. But if youโre anyone else, your whole sexual identity gets dragged into the principalโs office: โSo whatโs this I hear about you prancing around, masquerading as a woman?โ You are answerless. You are sitting on your hands. You are praying for your breasts to grow, your hair to perk up.
Lorrie MooreA funny line can never exist on its own. It needs to be surrounded by mood and circumstances.
Lorrie MooreThe detachment of the artist is kind of creepy. It's kind of rude, and yet really it's where art comes from. It's not the same as courage. It's closer to bad manners than to courage. If you're going to be a writer, you basically have to say, 'this is just who I am'. There's a certain indefensibility about it. It's not about loving your community and taking care of it โ you're not attached to the chamber of commerce. It's a little unsafe. You have to be willing to have only four friends, not 11.
Lorrie Moore