Jessa Crispin Quotes

Feminism now seems to be defined as success is defined: as being as good at capitalism as men are. I feel very estranged from it.

I understand maybe some people are more impressionable than my hard, cynical self, but maybe they need to figure out how to be less of that.

I was twenty-one when I was hired by Planned Parenthood. It was my first work experience outside of either temping or working for my father at his store.

I don't think that I can be settled and I don't think that I would ever want to be.

Just send the emails and talk to people. Spend all your money on nail polish and opera tickets.

I would never tell anybody to get a divorce.

I believe in free will.

I don't tell clients what to do. I don't even really tell them what the future is.

I have yet to get sued. My father thinks I should get liability insurance.

Most of what I do is for creative people - writers and painters and photographers - trying to work through creative problems.

I mean, many times your creative problem is accidentally your personal problem, but it's not quite the same.

I never asked anybody to take me seriously.

Women still get angry at me. I mean, men go after me sometimes, but most of the bad responses come from women.

Men exist on the planet. We have to deal with them at some point.

My belief that the publishing industry is run by prigs and cowards dates back to many years before I even had the idea for the book.

I don't think you can write an experience as you're having it without being an idiot.

I have a really good life and I really like it.

I don't behave the way people necessarily want me to, but I tried behaving that other way for a short period of time and it didn't take.

I think American literature is in a tedious place, horrible place. I can't even engage with it.

I like European and South American literature, but mostly I read nonfiction.

I knew my motivations for going to each place and what I was looking for. If I don't do that then I generally don't write about my travels.

There's this resistance to actually talking to people who are smarter than you about things and I don't know why that is.

Go to a place and just send out emails. That's my entire life. I go to countries and I ask, "Who would I know who lives here?" Not even do I know, but who exists and is on the planet.

You don't have to go to New York and you don't have to go to LA or London. Go somewhere cheap. Go somewhere with free art museums and then just go to art museums.

Talk to people who know more than you. I feel like we're in this stupid sea of opinion, like "My opinion is valid because it's mine and I have it."

American culture never necessarily made sense to me, but they should warn you: leaving comes with a huge sense of alienation that never goes away.

Once you leave, you're no longer of that country, but you are never actually of the country that you go to, and if you go back, you're not anywhere. You never belong to anything.

There are advantages to being labeled the victim. You are listened to, paid attention to. Sympathy is bestowed upon you.

I would slay myself on the altar of boredom if given the chance.