The Bird Artist Quotes

“Yet I murdered the lighthouse keeper, Botho August, and that is an equal part of how I think about myself.”
― Howard Norman, The Bird Artist

“I didn’t know you could break your finger just hanging up clothes. God Almighty, you situate your hand wrong between a blouse and a clothespin and everything suddenly changes. What a stupid life this is.” “Did”
― Howard Norman, The Bird Artist

“I went into the kitchen. My mother joined us there, Margaret threw back three shots in a row. "Oh yes, to be sure, Margaret Handle," my mother said. "That's your way in times of trouble, isn't it?" "Not just at those times," Margaret said, pouring another shot. My mother began to cook furiously.”
― Howard Norman, The Bird Artist

“I bet he's hightailed it into Canada. Somewhere into Canada." "Let me put it this way. Basically, there's Canada and there's the United States of America, and Orkney, since he was a boy, never had one spark of interest in going to the latter.”
― Howard Norman, The Bird Artist

“Early on July 2, 1911, my father left with Lambert Charibon for Anticosti Island. Shortly after supper on the same day, my mother took up with Botho August.”
― Howard Norman, The Bird Artist

“I was convinced that birds were kinds of souls. Not the souls of people but of previous birds whose mystery and beauty were so necessary on earth that God would not allow them to be anything in their second life but birds again.”
― Howard Norman, The Bird Artist

“I NOTICE THAT IT TAKES PRACTICE, NO MATTER HOW CLEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ARE. PLUS WHICH THIS IS A LETTER”
― Howard Norman, The Bird Artist