A Quote by Jesmyn Ward

When I look back on my reading habits when I was really young, I was really drawn to stories about strong girls who in some ways are outsiders. — © Jesmyn Ward
When I look back on my reading habits when I was really young, I was really drawn to stories about strong girls who in some ways are outsiders.
My fan interactions are really, really special. They're one of the highlights of this job for me, because I go out and do these conventions all across the world and meet all of these young girls - girls that look like me, and girls that look nothing like me, that are excited and empowered to see a woman of color on television. I'm really grateful for the fans that I have.
I wouldn't want [my daughtr] to be a model. I don't think it's the best industry really for young girls. Unless you're really strong, it can really f**k you up.
I went through an obsession with eyebrows. I used to paint my eyebrows really, really strong. I look back now, and some were a little bit strong.
There's not really too many artists that young girls and young people can look up to and be inspired by. So I take it as my responsibility, sometimes, to be the person who has the voice to give people some truth about what we're doing.
I was working in this very bombastic style. I didn't really know about style. I didn't think about it: I did what I was interested in, what I was attracted to, what I was drawn to. I was drawn to color, and I was drawn to humor, and I was drawn to sexuality and spontaneity. It was all really intuitive. I never really thought, "Well this is the style...
I find that you're drawn to certain stories, and there's something about fairytales that have deep roots. They connect really deeply to you, and those are the stories that I find myself drawn to. I love characters that believe the impossible is possible.
I think [The Outsiders] really forged who I am as an actor, and it's one of the reasons why I keep being drawn to big ensembles where I'm surrounded by strong, successful actors or personalities. Because that was my initial foray into movie making.
I have some girls who I look back on and I think, 'Wow, they were really horrible to me.' I would love an apology from a few girls, but whatever. I'm not holding any grudges. I'm over it.
I have this theory that people are actually really hungry for sonic space and understanding words, and I think that people are ready to look back and actually appreciate some of what came before. And then you really do have the entire movement that I'm just going to call feminist, because I am a feminist. I think the education of young girls and women about what came before has started and I think that the knowledge of Fanny is part of that.
I think that is a really good message, especially for young girls to hear. The fact that someone like me from the western suburbs of Sydney could become an actress in movies who didn't look like a regular actress, and that I can make it I think gives a lot of hope to other girls who are really creative and don't necessarily follow the standard of what some people consider beauty to be.
Back in the day as a kid, I was really drawn to the Hulk because it just felt so human and was probably one of the first stories that I felt emotionally invested in and not just thought it was really cool. You really feel for that person and put yourself in that situation.
I've made a point throughout my girls' lives of reading them bedtime stories about strong, innovating women, whether it's Oprah Winfrey or Frida Kahlo.
I can remember back to when I was 12, 13, and any show that I watched, I wanted to be the main character and embody them, and I think the fact that Sabrina is, in so many ways, such a positive role model for young girls is really cool.
I'm definitely drawn to stories about outsiders. Feeling like that myself as a gay black man, I often seek to give a voice to those in the world who don't have one.
There are some really amazing artists and people behind the scenes who are really effective in championing feminism in the music industry, and I think that's really important for people in the industry and for young girls and guys to see. It should become universal. It's really about the other people understanding that everybody's equal and that women are equally as valid creatives, businesswomen, powerhouses...whatever you want to call them.
In some ways, I don’t feel as if I had a choice. Looking back at my childhood, even before I could read and write, I was making up stories. I love reading and I love telling stories, and the times in my life when I’ve tried to ignore that part of me, I’ve gone a little crazy. Characters start tugging on my sleeves, words start haunting me, and I feel generally unsatisfied. Really, being a writer sounds more like a mental illness than a professional choice.
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