Ayelet Waldman Quotes

A collection of quotes by Ayelet Waldman.

Ayelet Waldman is an American author and essayist known for her thought-provoking and often controversial writings. Born on December 11, 1964, in Jerusalem, Israel, Waldman was raised in a Jewish family and later moved to the United States.

She attended Wesleyan University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, followed by a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. Although she practiced law for a short time, Waldman's true passion lay in writing. She dedicated herself to literature, exploring various genres such as fiction, non-fiction, and memoir.

Waldman gained significant recognition for her 2005 memoir entitled "Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace." In this deeply personal book, she critically examines the challenges and complexities of modern motherhood. She addresses controversial topics and challenges traditional views on parenting, sparking debates within the literary community.

Aside from her memoirs, Waldman is also known for her novels, including "Love and Other Impossible Pursuits" (2006) and "Red Hook Road" (2010). Her writing often delves into themes of motherhood, marriage, and identity, showcasing her ability to craft engaging narratives with emotional depth.

Waldman is celebrated for her candid and vulnerable style, fearlessly tackling social and political issues through her writings. Her works have received both praise and criticism, illustrating her keen ability to provoke thought and challenge prevailing norms. Today, she continues to write and contribute to the literary world, leaving an indelible mark on contemporary literature.

hatever my intentions, whatever the truth of my claim, I had

hatever my intentions, whatever the truth of my claim, I had no business giving a lecture to a total stranger.

Business Truth

As a novelist, I mined my history, my family and my memory,

As a novelist, I mined my history, my family and my memory, but in a very specific way. Writing fiction, I never made use of experiences immediately as they happened. I needed to let things fester in my memory, mature and transmogrify into something meaningful.

Family

I'm sure there are people who survive tragedy without humor,

I'm sure there are people who survive tragedy without humor, but I've never met any of them. Nor would I be particularly interested in writing about them if I did meet them.

Humor

Well, you know, I was raised by a 1970s feminist. My mom had

Well, you know, I was raised by a 1970s feminist. My mom had a consciousness-raising group. I used to sit at the top of the stairs and listen to them.

Mom

There are times as a parent when you realize that your job i

There are times as a parent when you realize that your job is not to be the parent you always imagined you'd be, the parent you always wished you had. Your job is to be the parent your child needs, given the particulars of his or her own life and nature.

Nature

I pity the young woman who will attempt to insinuate herself

I pity the young woman who will attempt to insinuate herself between my mama's boy and me. I sympathize with the monumental nature of her task. It will take a crowbar, two bulldozers and half a dozen Molotov cocktails to pry my Oedipus and me loose from one another.

Nature

By the time the children go to bed, I am as drained as any m

By the time the children go to bed, I am as drained as any mother who has spent her day working, car pooling, building Lego castles and shopping for the precisely correct soccer cleat.

Car

Is Valentine's Day a day to make cupcakes with your children

Is Valentine's Day a day to make cupcakes with your children? No, Valentine's is supposed to be a day about romantic love.

Romantic

I always tell my kids that as soon as you have a secret, som

I always tell my kids that as soon as you have a secret, something about you that you are ashamed to have others find out, you have given other people the power to hurt you by exposing you.

Power

Personally, I think four is the perfect number of children f

Personally, I think four is the perfect number of children for our particular family. Four is enough to create the frenzied cacophony that my husband and I find so joyful.

Family

Another parent's different approach raises the possibility t

Another parent's different approach raises the possibility that you've made a mistake with your child. We simply can't tolerate that because we fear that any mistake, no matter how minor, could have devastating consequences. So we proclaim the superiority of our own choices. We've lost sight of the fact that people have preferences.

Fear

I feed my kids organic food and milk, but I've also been kno

I feed my kids organic food and milk, but I've also been known to buy the odd Lunchable. My kids are not allowed to watch TV during the week, but on weekends even the 2-year-old veges out to 'The Simpsons.'

Food

I was a lesbian for a semester at Wesleyan - it was a gradua

I was a lesbian for a semester at Wesleyan - it was a graduation requirement.

Graduation

One of the darkest, deepest shames so many of us mothers fee

One of the darkest, deepest shames so many of us mothers feel nowadays is our fear that we are Bad Mothers, that we are failing our children and falling far short of our own ideals.

Fear

So many women today have become so focused on their children

So many women today have become so focused on their children, they've developed these romantic entanglements with their children's lives, and the husbands are secondary. They're left out. And the romantic focus is on the children.

Romantic

I have two daughters and I have done everything in my power

I have two daughters and I have done everything in my power to prevent them from assimilating, even being aware of, my idiocy about my weight.

Power

During the periods in my marriage when I chose to stay home

During the periods in my marriage when I chose to stay home with my kids rather than work as an attorney, it caused me no end of anxiety. Despite the fact that I knew I was contributing to our family by caring for our children, I still felt that my worth was less because I wasn't earning.

Family

The thing about youthful offenders is that no one seems to c

The thing about youthful offenders is that no one seems to care about them. Most people don't like adolescents - even the good ones can be snarky and unpleasant. Combine the antipathy we feel toward the average teenager with the fear inspired by youth violence, and you have a population that no one wants to deal with.

Fear

Despite the fact that in America we incarcerate more juvenil

Despite the fact that in America we incarcerate more juveniles for life terms than in any other country in the world, the truth is that the vast majority of youth offenders will one day be released. The question is simple and stark. Do we want to help them change or do we want to help them become even more violent and dangerous?

Change

Before I was married, I didn't consider my failure to manage

Before I was married, I didn't consider my failure to manage even basic hand tools a feminist inadequacy. I thought it had more to do with being Jewish. The Jews I knew growing up didn't do 'do-it-yourself.' When my father needed to hammer something he generally used his shoe, and the only real tool he owned was a pair of needle-nose pliers.

Failure