Agnes Ellison
I'm happy you're not white.
Coraline
Me too.
American Fiction quotes
Page 1 of 2
Agnes Ellison
Your father was a genius. Geniuses are lonely because they can't connect with the rest of us. You're a genius, son.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: I certainly don't feel like one half the time.
Ailene Hoover
I think it's "****" for me.
Jon Daniel Sigmarsen
Yeah, me too.
Wilson Harnet
Yeah, I agree.
Sintara Golden
I disagree, I'm sorry.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: I think it would be a mistake to award this book anything.
Jon Daniel Sigmarsen
Well, it's 2 versus 3 so... "****"'s the winner.
Ailene Hoover
[writing on board]
"****" is the winner. You know, it's not just that it's so affecting, I just think it's essential to listen to Black voices right now.
Ailene Hoover
People have worked hard on these books and we have to respect that.
Wilson Harnet
Hard work doesn't demand respect. People worked hard on the Third Reich.
Arthur
[reading from "****"]
"I be standing outside in the night, a police chopper go by and shine some lights in some backyards and I think, 'Shine that light on me, mo'****a, shine me some ****in' light so I can see where the **** I be at.'" Are you serious?
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: You notice I didn't put my name on it.
Arthur
Check this out. [picks up 3 bottles of whiskey]
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: I don't care how drunk we get. I'm not selling it.
Arthur
That's not what I'm doing. Johnnie Walker Red. 24 bucks. johnnie Walker Black. 50 bucks. Johnnie Walker Blue. One hundred and sixty dollars. See the metaphor?
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: No.
Arthur
These are all made by the same company. The red is shit. The black is less shit. The blue is good. But fewer people buy the blue because it's expensive. And at the end of the day, most people just want to get drunk. For most of your career, your books have been blue. They're good, complex. But they're not popular because most people want something easy. Now, for the first time, ever, you've written a red book. It's simple, prurient... it's not great literature, but it satisfies an urge. And that's valuable. What I'm trying to illustrate is that... just because you do red, doesn't mean you can't also do blue. You can do it all. Like Johnnie Walker. In fact, you got Johnnie Walker beat because, you don't even have to put your real name on it.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: [takes off glasses, head in his hands] Shesus. Do we drink now?
Arthur
This thing scares me.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: Scares you? Why?
Arthur
Because white people think they want the truth, but they don't. They just want to feel absolved.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: Well, fortunately, that's not my problem.
Arthur
What is this? I told you to dress street.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: I did!
Arthur
**** Sesame Street.
Coraline
[to Monk]
One day maybe you'll learn that not being able to relate to other people isn't a badge of honor.
Lorraine
You look good, Mr. Monk.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: I look fat.
Lorraine
Aah, that's the California talking. I took you to Arkansas right now, you'd be a beauty queen.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: That's frightening.
Paula Baderman
[On a conference call]
Hello?
Arthur
Hello Paula!
Paula Baderman
Arthur! So wonderful to hear from you. I hope you are with the man of the hour.
Arthur
I am indeed. He's right here next to me.
Paula Baderman
Mr. Leigh?
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: [Speaking as the author "Stagg R. Leigh"] Uh, yeah, this is he.
Paula Baderman
[Surprised]
Oh, really?
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: Uh, uh, yeah, dammit!
Paula Baderman
[Relieved]
Right.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: Mother****er!
Paula Baderman
Right, okay, um, yeah, I was a little confused at first.
Sintara Golden
I don't need to write about my life. I write about what interests people.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: You write what interests white publishers fiending black trauma porn.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: It's very kind of you to let them stay.
Maynard
It's always easier dealing with other people's families than your own.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: I regret to inform you that in a couple hours, this will be your family.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: Listen. This is a class on the literature of the American South. we're going to encounter some archaic thoughts and coarse language, but we're all adults here and I think we can understand it within the context in which it's written.
Brittany
Well, I just find that word really offensive.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: With all due respect, Brittany, I got over it. I'm pretty sure you can too.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: Who is that? What are you doing?
Clifford Ellison
I've taken a lover.
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: You've taken a lover?
Clifford Ellison
You got a problem with that, homophobe?
Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison: I'm not offended that you've taken a lover, Cliff. I'm offended, Cliff, that you call it 'taking a lover.'
Clifford Ellison
Hmm. You can eat shit, ****. I'm gonna take my lover right now.