P. Djèlí Clark > Quotes

“Girl, every choice we make is a new tomorrow. Whole worlds waiting to be born.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“There were two brothers, Truth and Lie. One day they get to playing, throwing cutlasses up into the air. Them cutlasses come down and fast as can be-swish!-chop each of their faces clean off! Truth bed down, searching for his face. But with no eyes, he can't see. Lie, he sneaky. He snatch up Truth's face and run off! Zip! Now Lie go around wearing Truth's face, fooling everybody he meet.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“Reason and law don’t mean much when white folk want their way.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“Devil wouldn’t be the devil if he didn’t know how to tempt.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“You see, the hate they give is senseless. They already got power. Yet they hate those over who they got control, who don’t really pose a threat to them. Their fears aren’t real—just insecurities and inadequacies. Deep down they know that. Makes their hate like … watered-down whiskey. Now your people!”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“Rich people always have enemies. Usually, that’s how they became rich.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“And her father always said if people were going to stare, you should give them a show.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Dead Djinn in Cairo

“You! You can’t just walk in here! This is a crime scene!” “That would explain the dead bodies, then,” she replied. He blinked dumbly, and she sighed. Wasting good sarcasm was annoying.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“Why is everyone so slavish to texts written thousands of years ago?” he snapped. “Gods can change. Grow apart. Try new things. Besides, Set was a jerk.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“Power to protect. Power to avenge. Power over the life and death of my people. When colored folk ever had anyone offer us so much? When we ever had the power not to be scared no more? Ain’t we been suffering and dying all this time, at the hands of monsters in human form? What difference then if we make a pact with some other monsters? What we owe this world that so despises and brutalizes us? Why lift a hand to save it when it ain’t never done a damn thing to save us?”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“He spoke often on the harm that enslavement does to the souls of those bound by the chain, and the souls of those who wield it.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, The Haunting of Tram Car 015

“No one who lives here is stupid or gullible. They’re just tired of the exploitation. Tired of being ignored. Desperate ears will listen to anyone offering up others to blame.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“I ain’t no scared girl no more. I hunt monsters—they don’t hunt me. So now I’m about to do something real brave or stupid.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“Time to balance the world on the tip of a sword.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“My grandpappy say when we die, we get our wings back, the ones white folk cut off when we come here. Maybe I’ll fly and meet my mama. Or all the way back to Africy.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“I don’t have sad tales to tell you. I’m not some tragic character from a story, lost between two worlds. I revel in who I am. What I am.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“Usually the secrets we keep deep down, ain’t meant to hurt other people,” he said. “Not saying they won’t, but not through intentions. Those deep secrets, we hide away because we’re afraid what other people might think. How they might judge us, if they knew. And nobody’s judgment we scared of more than the one we give our hearts to. Besides, everybody got secrets. Even you, I’m betting.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“Hearing ain’t the same as listening.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, The Black God's Drums

“They say God is good all the time. Seem he also likes irony.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“I remember the songs that come with all those visions. Songs full of hurt. Songs of sadness and tears. Songs pulsing with pain. A righteous anger and cry for justice.

But not hate.

They ain’t the same thing. Never was.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“What I have is beautiful music inspired by struggle and fierce love. What he got ain’t nothing but hateful noise. Not a hint of soul to it.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout

“why are we going to the basement?” “Because that’s where the library is located.” “Right. And we’re going to the library because…?” Fatma fixed her best blank look. “Because it has all the books.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“Ask me how many people, right here in Cairo, have blood sugar sickness,” he said. Fatma blinked. “I don’t—” “No, go ahead. Ask me.” “How many people in Cairo have blood sugar sickness?” “Ya Allah! I have no idea! I’m terrible with numbers!”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“His eyes took on a storyteller’s twinkle, and Fatma sighed. This was going to take a while.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“And nobody’s judgment we scared of more than the one we give our hearts to.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“Fighting it has to be like trying to push back a flood. In my head, Oya laughs. You can run from those old Afrikin goddesses. But they find you when they ready.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, The Black God's Drums

“And among His wonders is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colors. For in this, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are possessed of innate knowledge.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“She looked closer at the object she’d mistaken for a bookmark—a length of metallic silver tinged with hints of bright mandarin. She picked it up, holding it aloft as it glinted in the gas lamps’ glare.

Aasim cursed, his voice going hoarse. “Is that what I think it is?”

Fatma nodded. It was a metallic feather, as long as her forearm. Along its surface, faint lines of fiery script moved and writhed about as if alive.

“Holy tongue,” Aasim breathed.

“Holy tongue,” she confirmed.

“But that means it belongs to . . .”

“An angel, ” Fatma finished for him.

Her frown deepened. Now what in the many worlds, she wondered, would a djinn be doing with one of these?”
― P. Djeli Clark, A Dead Djinn in Cairo

“If you steal, steal a camel, she heard her mother whisper. And if you love, love the moon.”
― P. Djèlí Clark, A Master of Djinn

“We the trickster—the spider, the rabbit, even the fox. We fool those stronger than us. That’s how we survive. Watch out you don’t get tricked yo’self!”
― P. Djèlí Clark, Ring Shout