Authors: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

98 Top Shirley Jackson Quotes That You Must Bookmark

Famous As: American Writer Known Primarily for Her Works of Horror and Mystery
Born On: 1916
Died On: 1965
Born In: San Francisco, California, United States
Died At Age: 48

Shirley Jackson was an American writer famous for her short story “The Lottery” and the novel “The Haunting of the Hill House”; which were acclaimed to be the best ghost stories ever. Instigating fear among the readers became the trademark of Shirley. She went on to win the coveted National Book Award and several Best American Short Stories awards in the process. Her work was not autobiographical in nature by any means as she believed that such type of writing only produced bare chronological facts with no pertinent facts. The Shirley Jackson Award was instituted in her honor to award exceptional achievement in English Literature in the horror and suspense genre. Since 2015, North Bennington celebrates June 27 as “Shirley Jackson Day”. Shirley shared her wisdom and thoughts on several things through her writings. We have collected Shirley’s quotes on books, children, dreams, hills, house, moon, morning, summer, writing, stories etc from her writings. Following are some of her most famous quotes .

Listed In:
No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality.

Shirley Jackson
A pretty sight, a lady with a book.

A pretty sight, a lady with a book.

Shirley Jackson
On the moon we wore feathers in our hair, and rubies on our hands. On the moon we had gold spoons.

On the moon we wore feathers in our hair, and rubies on our hands. On the moon we had gold spoons.

Shirley Jackson
Am I walking toward something I should be running away from?

Am I walking toward something I should be running away from?

Shirley Jackson
I delight in what I fear.

I delight in what I fear.

Shirley Jackson
I can't help it when people are frightened,

I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. "I always want to frighten them more.

Shirley Jackson
I am like a small creature swallowed whole by a monster, she thought, and the monster feels my tiny little movements inside.

I am like a small creature swallowed whole by a monster, she thought, and the monster feels my tiny little movements inside.

Shirley Jackson
Fate intervened. Some of us, that day, she led inexorably through the gates of death. Some of us, innocent and unsuspecting, took, unwillingly, that one last step to oblivion. Some of us took very little sugar.

Fate intervened. Some of us, that day, she led inexorably through the gates of death. Some of us, innocent and unsuspecting, took, unwillingly, that one last step to oblivion. Some of us took very little sugar.

Shirley Jackson
So long as you write it away regularly nothing can really hurt you.

So long as you write it away regularly nothing can really hurt you.

Shirley Jackson
All cat stories start with this statement:

All cat stories start with this statement: "My mother, who was the first cat, told me this...

Shirley Jackson
I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had.

I have often thought that with any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both my hands are the same length, but I have had to be content with what I had.

Shirley Jackson
We eat the year away. We eat the spring and the summer and the fall. We wait for something to grow and then we eat it.

We eat the year away. We eat the spring and the summer and the fall. We wait for something to grow and then we eat it.

Shirley Jackson
I was pretending that I did not speak their language; on the moon we spoke a soft, liquid tongue, and sang in the starlight, looking down on the dead dried world.

I was pretending that I did not speak their language; on the moon we spoke a soft, liquid tongue, and sang in the starlight, looking down on the dead dried world.

Shirley Jackson
Fear,

Fear," the doctor said, "is the relinquishment of logic, the willing relinquishing of reasonable patterns. We yield to it or we fight it, but we cannot meet it halfway.

Shirley Jackson
You will be wondering about that sugar bowl, I imagine, is it still in use? You are wondering, has it been cleaned? You may very well ask, was it thoroughly washed?

You will be wondering about that sugar bowl, I imagine, is it still in use? You are wondering, has it been cleaned? You may very well ask, was it thoroughly washed?

Shirley Jackson
There had not been this many words sounded in our house for a long time, and it was going to take a while to clean them out.

There had not been this many words sounded in our house for a long time, and it was going to take a while to clean them out.

Shirley Jackson
I'm going to put death in all their food and watch them die.

I'm going to put death in all their food and watch them die.

Shirley Jackson
I shall weave a suit of leaves. At once. With acorns for buttons.

I shall weave a suit of leaves. At once. With acorns for buttons.

Shirley Jackson
Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.

Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.

Shirley Jackson
Poor strangers, they have so much to be afraid of.

Poor strangers, they have so much to be afraid of.

Shirley Jackson
When shall we live if not now?

When shall we live if not now?

Shirley Jackson
All I could think of when I got a look at the place from the outside was what fun it would be to stand out there and watch it burn down.

All I could think of when I got a look at the place from the outside was what fun it would be to stand out there and watch it burn down.

Shirley Jackson
On the moon we have everything. Lettuce, and pumpkin pie and Amanita phalloides. We have cat-furred plants and horses dancing with their wings. All the locks are solid and tight, and there are no ghosts.

On the moon we have everything. Lettuce, and pumpkin pie and Amanita phalloides. We have cat-furred plants and horses dancing with their wings. All the locks are solid and tight, and there are no ghosts.

Shirley Jackson
Gossip says she hanged herself from the turret on the tower, but when you have a house like Hill House with a tower and a turret, gossip would hardly allow you to hang yourself anywhere else.

Gossip says she hanged herself from the turret on the tower, but when you have a house like Hill House with a tower and a turret, gossip would hardly allow you to hang yourself anywhere else.

Shirley Jackson
I wonder if I could eat a child if I had the chance.'
'I doubt if I could cook one,' said Constance.

I wonder if I could eat a child if I had the chance.' 'I doubt if I could cook one,' said Constance.

Shirley Jackson
Hill House, she thought, You're as hard to get into as heaven.

Hill House, she thought, You're as hard to get into as heaven.

Shirley Jackson
No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.

Shirley Jackson
God! Whose hand was I holding?

God! Whose hand was I holding?

Shirley Jackson
No, the menace of the supernatural is that it attacks where modern minds are weakest, where we have abandoned our protective armor of superstition and have no substitute defense.

No, the menace of the supernatural is that it attacks where modern minds are weakest, where we have abandoned our protective armor of superstition and have no substitute defense.

Shirley Jackson
Oh Constance, we are so happy.

Oh Constance, we are so happy.

Shirley Jackson