Patrick White
Patrick White
Patrick Victor Martindale Whitewas an Australian writer who is widely regarded as one of the most important English-language novelists of the 20th century. From 1935 to his death, he published 12 novels, three short-story collections and eight plays...
NationalityAustralian
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth28 May 1912
CountryAustralia
australia eighteen land life persuaded return rising whether
When I was rising eighteen I persuaded my parents to let me return to Australia and at least see whether I could adapt myself to life on the land before going up to Cambridge.
breathed cannot component dividing faith labeling parts trying
I think it is impossible to explain faith. It is like trying to explain air, which one cannot do by dividing it into its component parts and labeling them scientifically. It must be breathed to be understood.
colonial english explore four holidays spent spite visit
In spite of holidays when I was free to visit London theatres and explore the countryside, I spent four very miserable years as a colonial at an English school.
living london months second york
During the early, comparatively uneventful months I hovered between London and New York writing too hurriedly a second novel, The Living and the Dead.
confidence gotten maybe
They prevented us from getting that first goal. Had we have gotten that maybe we would have got a little confidence and maybe come back.
bury great time
I just had a great time out there. When you get chances, you've got to bury them, and I did.
celebrate eye means novels storm tried
I have tried to celebrate the park, which means so much to so many of us, in The Eye of the Storm and in some of the shorter novels of The Cockatoos.
australian good great luck
Well, good luck to you, kid! I'm going to write the Great Australian Novel.
forget learning remember
I forget what I was taught. I only remember what I have learnt.
achievement arts chosen greatest heights lead liberal next president promise rich richer tradition
Wabash is one of America's greatest liberal arts colleges, rich in tradition and even richer in promise and possibilities. To be chosen to lead Wabash to new heights of achievement as its next president is a great honor.
anyone believe goes land sees speaks
We believe the land speaks to anyone who goes there and sees the site. It is very moving.
australian continue emptiness hope people
Here I hope to continue living, and while I still have the strength, to people the Australian emptiness in the only way I am able.
energy hoped kept pick
We hoped that we could come out and get the first and the energy would pick us up, but they kept getting the bounces.
mind sometimes lost
If I have not lost my mind I can sometimes hear it preparing to defect