“A story is a story, and one may glean from it what one likes. Good sense need not enter into it.”
―
G. Willow Wilson,
Alif the Unseen
“All translations are made up" opined Vikram, "Languages are different for a reason. You can't move ideas between them without losing something” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“There's this ayah from the Quran that my dad always quotes when he sees something bad on TV. A fire or a flood or a bombing. "Whoever kills one person, it is as if he has killed all of mankind... And whoever saves one person, it is as if he has saved all of mankind." When I was a little kid, that always made me feel better. Because no matter how bad things get there are always people who rush in to help. And according to my dad they are blessed.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
“I have had much experience with the unclean and uncivilized in the recent past. Shall I tell you what I discovered? I am not the state of my feet. I am not the dirt on my hands or the hygiene of my private parts. If I were these things, I would not have been at liberty to pray at any time since my arrest. But I did pray, because I am not these things. In the end, I am not even myself. I am a string of bones speaking the word God.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“A hero is just somebody who tries to do the right thing even when it's hard. There are more of us than you think.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why
“Be careful with this one" said Dina, bending down to greet the cat. "All cats are half jinn, but I think she's three quarters.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“Wonder and awe have gone out of your religions. You are prepared to accept the irrational, but not the transcendent.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“Look at all the Eastern writers who've written great Western literature. Kazuo Ishiguro. You'd never guess that The Remains of the Day or Never Let Me Go were written by a Japanese guy. But I can't think of anyone who's ever done the reverse-- any Westerner who's written great Eastern literature. Well, maybe if we count Lawrence Durrell - does the Alexandria Quartet qualify as Eastern literature?" "There is a very simple test," said Vikram. "Is it about bored, tired people having sex?" "Yes," said the convert, surprised. "Then it's western.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“If man's capacity for the fantastic took up as much of his imagination as his capacity for cruelty, the worlds, seen and unseen, might be very different.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“Conscience. Conscience is the ultimate measure of a man.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“Good is not a thing you are. It's a thing you do.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel (2014-2015) #5
“Dear child, some stories have no morals. Sometimes darkness and madness are simply that.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“What are you thinking?” she asked. “I’m thinking that you are all good things in one place,” he said.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“to do the right thing you must sometimes defend people who don't understand you, or who fear you, or who are angry at you. There are times when you have to operate purely on faith and continue to trust human decency even when it is no longer visible.” ― G. Willow Wilson, The Butterfly Mosque: A Young American Woman's Journey to Love and Islam
“Metaphors are dangerous. Calling something by a false name changes it, and metaphor is just a fancy way of calling something by a false name.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“...God bless the man who first taught the world how to cure olives. He and the man who invented cheese are two unsung pillars of civilization.""They were probably women," muttered Fatima, fanning her face with the sleeve of her robe. "If they were men, we would remember their names.” ― G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King
“Good is not a thing you are. It's a thing you do.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
“When have I ever suggested you burn them? I am allowed to have opinions, aren’t I? And I don’t hate them—I don’t give a fig about them. The only reason I cared is because you were so comfortable belittling me for believing things you only read about. I was afraid you’d turn into one of those literary types who say books can change the world when they’re feeling good about themselves and it’s only a book when anybody challenges them. It wasn’t about the books themselves—it was about hypocrisy. You can speak casually about burning the Alf Yeom for the same reason you’d be horrified if I suggested burning The Satanic Verses—because you have reactions, not convictions.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“My dear sir,” said the sheikh. “God likes catching His servants unprepared. The boy has set down what is obviously the first plate of food he has seen in a long while in order to thank his Creator. There are few acts of piety more honest than that.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“All translations are made up" opined Vikram, "Languages are different for a reason. You can't move ideas between them without losing something” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“There's this ayah from the Quran that my dad always quotes when he sees something bad on TV. A fire or a flood or a bombing. "Whoever kills one person, it is as if he has killed all of mankind... And whoever saves one person, it is as if he has saved all of mankind." When I was a little kid, that always made me feel better. Because no matter how bad things get there are always people who rush in to help. And according to my dad they are blessed.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
“I have had much experience with the unclean and uncivilized in the recent past. Shall I tell you what I discovered? I am not the state of my feet. I am not the dirt on my hands or the hygiene of my private parts. If I were these things, I would not have been at liberty to pray at any time since my arrest. But I did pray, because I am not these things. In the end, I am not even myself. I am a string of bones speaking the word God.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“A hero is just somebody who tries to do the right thing even when it's hard. There are more of us than you think.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why
“Be careful with this one" said Dina, bending down to greet the cat. "All cats are half jinn, but I think she's three quarters.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“Wonder and awe have gone out of your religions. You are prepared to accept the irrational, but not the transcendent.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“Look at all the Eastern writers who've written great Western literature. Kazuo Ishiguro. You'd never guess that The Remains of the Day or Never Let Me Go were written by a Japanese guy. But I can't think of anyone who's ever done the reverse-- any Westerner who's written great Eastern literature. Well, maybe if we count Lawrence Durrell - does the Alexandria Quartet qualify as Eastern literature?" "There is a very simple test," said Vikram. "Is it about bored, tired people having sex?" "Yes," said the convert, surprised. "Then it's western.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“If man's capacity for the fantastic took up as much of his imagination as his capacity for cruelty, the worlds, seen and unseen, might be very different.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“Conscience. Conscience is the ultimate measure of a man.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“Good is not a thing you are. It's a thing you do.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel (2014-2015) #5
“Dear child, some stories have no morals. Sometimes darkness and madness are simply that.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“What are you thinking?” she asked. “I’m thinking that you are all good things in one place,” he said.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“to do the right thing you must sometimes defend people who don't understand you, or who fear you, or who are angry at you. There are times when you have to operate purely on faith and continue to trust human decency even when it is no longer visible.” ― G. Willow Wilson, The Butterfly Mosque: A Young American Woman's Journey to Love and Islam
“Metaphors are dangerous. Calling something by a false name changes it, and metaphor is just a fancy way of calling something by a false name.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“...God bless the man who first taught the world how to cure olives. He and the man who invented cheese are two unsung pillars of civilization.""They were probably women," muttered Fatima, fanning her face with the sleeve of her robe. "If they were men, we would remember their names.” ― G. Willow Wilson, The Bird King
“Good is not a thing you are. It's a thing you do.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal
“When have I ever suggested you burn them? I am allowed to have opinions, aren’t I? And I don’t hate them—I don’t give a fig about them. The only reason I cared is because you were so comfortable belittling me for believing things you only read about. I was afraid you’d turn into one of those literary types who say books can change the world when they’re feeling good about themselves and it’s only a book when anybody challenges them. It wasn’t about the books themselves—it was about hypocrisy. You can speak casually about burning the Alf Yeom for the same reason you’d be horrified if I suggested burning The Satanic Verses—because you have reactions, not convictions.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
“My dear sir,” said the sheikh. “God likes catching His servants unprepared. The boy has set down what is obviously the first plate of food he has seen in a long while in order to thank his Creator. There are few acts of piety more honest than that.” ― G. Willow Wilson, Alif the Unseen
