Quotes & anectdotes from
the wise,
the foolish,
the courageous &
the drunk

Jerzy Kosinski Novelist

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: United States
  • Born: Jun 14, 1933
  • Died: May 3, 1991

Jerzy KosiÅ„ski, born Józef Lewinkopf, was an award-winning Polish-American novelist and two-time President of the American Chapter of P.E.N., who wrote primarily in English. Born in Poland, he survived World War II and as a young man emigrated to America, where he became a citizen.

He was known for various novels, among them The Painted Bird and Being There. Being There was adapted as an Academy Award-winning film in 1979.

The principle of art is to pause, not bypass.

I can create countries just as I can create the actions of my characters. That is why a lot of travel seems to me a waste of time.

The things I write are for those who are willing to accept a new relationship between the reader and the author.

The principles of true art is not to portray, but to evoke.

I look back into past history, the stored experiences or products of the imagination. I look no further forward than the evening.

Travel gives me the opportunity to walk through the sectors of cities where one can clearly see the passage of time.