25 Quotes & Sayings By Teresa R Funke

Teresa R. Funke is an award-winning author of novels for young adults. Her books have been published in over 30 countries and translated into several languages. As an award-winning teacher, she won the Katherine Paterson Literary Award for her third novel, The One Who Is All (2000) Read more

This book was followed by two more honors: a 2001 Newbery Honor and a 2002 Coretta Scott King Award Honor. Funke's work has been nominated for many state and national awards, including a Newbery Honor and a California Young Reader Medal. She has been a featured guest on NPR's "The Reading Life" and the AOL/Bookmarks Book Club, as well as a popular guest on Los Angeles public radio station KPFK's "The Writer's Voice." The recipient of many writing awards--including the Golden Kite Award from the Children's Literature Association--she teaches creative writing at several universities and holds residencies at The Writer's Workshop at the University of Iowa and the Vermont College MFA Program.

She lives in Pacific Grove, California.

1
I let all that anger and worry go because they don't belong to me any more than the future does. And I don't wanna feel them anyhow, because the truth is, whatever happens when this war ends, here and now, far from Richmond County, I'm freer than I've ever been. Teresa R. Funke
The only difference between a grown-up's mistake and a child's...
2
The only difference between a grown-up's mistake and a child's is the size of the consequence. Teresa R. Funke
The tears are falling freely now, and I don't care...
3
The tears are falling freely now, and I don't care if he sees them. They're tears of relief for my nephew, worry for my grandfather and my brother, and shame for my mistake. I figure I earned them. Teresa R. Funke
When we give ourselves permission to go wherever our outlandish...
4
When we give ourselves permission to go wherever our outlandish thoughts take us, we feel that rush of creativity and excitement. Teresa R. Funke
One day this war will end. And when it does,...
5
One day this war will end. And when it does, Tule Lake will be just a memory. Teresa R. Funke
This is how hatred begins -- with a muffled laugh...
6
This is how hatred begins -- with a muffled laugh on a hot night and a knock on the door. Teresa R. Funke
Whether the changes that are coming in your life will...
7
Whether the changes that are coming in your life will be unexpected or determined by your choices and actions, the wheels are in motion. The adventure has just begun. Teresa R. Funke
8
When you find your passion, turn a deaf ear to the naysayers and follow your dreams. Teresa R. Funke
9
Spend one more day in pursuit of art that only you can produce, and somewhere, someone is envying your courage to do just that. Teresa R. Funke
10
Putting our art out there is one of the biggest risks we can take. It's a special kind of vulnerability. It takes guts to be an artist. Teresa R. Funke
11
I've realized I don't need to keep looking for my path. I'm already on it. I just need to trust where it leads. Teresa R. Funke
12
As artists, it is our job to question the rules and ask if they are relevant or outdated, necessary or arbitrary, helpful or oppressive. Teresa R. Funke
13
If you build a wall to separate people, there will be those who find a way around the wall, or over it, or under it, or through it. We humans are not meant to be contained, and neither are our thoughts. Teresa R. Funke
14
If your art is calling to you, its doing so for a reason. You are feeling a pull toward something for which your soul is yearning. Teresa R. Funke
15
It's ever so fun and fulfilling to be clever, but more lasting and effective to be consistent. Teresa R. Funke
16
Never let your goals or convictions get in the way of living your life. It's not about who dies with more, it's about who lived the most. Teresa R. Funke
17
In times of trouble, people need artists. We create those spaces where their own pain and worry and sadness can rest, and where their broken hearts can hope again. Teresa R. Funke
18
As with everything else, the more we separate ourselves from each other, the weaker we become. Teresa R. Funke
19
We tend to think that what matters is decided by society or culture or religion or our peers, but no one can say what truly matters except us. Teresa R. Funke
20
If you haven't proclaimed it in your own life, do it now. Say, "I am an artist. Teresa R. Funke
21
In those glorious moments when someone sees, really sees, your art and bothers to tell you so, relish it! Teresa R. Funke
22
Our art is never really ours. Each person who experiences it brings to it a piece of themselves and reacts to it in ways that stem from their personal struggles, beliefs, morals, and even hang-ups. Teresa R. Funke
23
Let's make room for the kind of art that challenges us, pushes boundaries, stirs and inspires, and takes our breath away with its uniqueness. Let's reconnect with our artist souls and trust that if we make good art, we'll make good money. Teresa R. Funke
24
Artists have a unique ability to paint the world, and to help people see injustice. They do it not with guns, but with pens and guitars and paintbrushes. Teresa R. Funke