Pieces of White Shell Quotes

“What is the most important thing one learns in school? Self-esteem, support, and friendship.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell

“Story is the umbilical cord that connects us to the past, present, and future. Family. Story is a relationship between the teller and the listener, a responsibility. . . . Story is an affirmation of our ties to one another.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell

“Storytelling awakens us to that which is real. Honest. . . . it transcends the individual. . . . Those things that are most personal are most general, and are, in turn, most trusted. Stories bind. . . . They are basic to who we are.
A story composite personality which grows out of its community. It maintains a stability within that community, providing common knowledge as to how things are, how things should be -- knowledge based on experience. These stories become the conscience of the group. They belong to everyone.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell

“The mind creates those things that exist.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell

“We are contemporary citizens living in a technological world. Swimming in crosscultural waters can be dangerous, and if you are honest you can't stay there very long. Sooner or later you have to look at your own reflection and decide what to do with yourself.
We are urban people. We make periodic pilgrimages to the country. . . . If we align ourselves with the spirit of place we will find humility fused with joy.
The land holds stories.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell

“We are wearing coats of trust. When one tells a story this is what happens.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell

“Her body was rounded like earth. Stories. Breath. . . . Her eyes have been painted closed. I understand. To tell a story you must travel inward.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell

“I speculate over some of the Anglo nomenclature of birds: Wilson's snipe, Forster's tern . . . : What natural images do these names conjure up in our minds? What integrity do we give back to the birds with our labels.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell

“A story grows from the inside out. . . . if I begin traveling with an awareness of my own ignorance, trusting my instincts, I can look for my own stories embedded in the landscapes I travel through.
A story allows us to envision the possibility of things. It draws on the powers of memory and imagination. It awakens us to our surroundings.”
― Terry Tempest Williams, Pieces of White Shell