Castle Freeman Jr. > Quotes

“Middle-aged memory [is] an instrument of torture: you reach for the fruit of memory and it vanishes, to appear when you no longer want it.”
― Castle Freeman Jr., Round Mountain

“I can’t be on your side and on his side, too,’ Clemmie said. ‘I’m right in the middle here all the time.’ ‘You ain’t in the middle of nothing,’ I said. ‘I’m the illiterate redneck that’s putting the blocks to your dad’s only daughter, his little girl. He don’t like that. I can’t make him like it. You can’t. Quit worrying about it.’ ‘He doesn’t think you’re an illiterate redneck.’ ‘Sure, he does. He’s right, too.”
― Castle Freeman, All That I Have

“So, no kids. It took some getting used to. Looking back, it took more getting used to than either of us would have thought. There's no better way to learn what you want than to find out you can't have it. Things with us weren't going to be quite the way we'd thought they'd be. Did we talk that over a lot between us, at the time? Did we get straight with each other on what it meant, on how we felt about it? I don't remember that we did. For me, I guess I said to myself, well, that's the deal you've got: it is what it is. Clemmie? It might have been tougher for Clemmie — probably was. We're different people, ain't we, different kinds of people? That's what makes it interesting. That's what makes it fun when it's fun, but that's also what makes it hard when it's hard. The way I said, Clemmie can take life too seriously.”
― Castle Freeman Jr., All That I Have

“Blackway,” said Betsy. “You know him, too?” asked Conrad. “By reputation,” said Betsy. “He’s been around for years.” “Who is he?” “He’s like the village criminal,” said Betsy. “He’s what we’ve got up here instead of organized crime.”
― Castle Freeman Jr., Go With Me

“Look, Sheriff, says Emory. Look, Sheriff, says Logan Tracy. Look, this. Look, that. Your big lookers, these important fellows are. When you hear that ‘Look,’ be careful. Go slow. Because the fellow who’s telling you to look don’t want you to. He wants you to think he’s an honest, plain-talking straight shooter who, when he says ‘Look,’ is getting ready to level with you. He ain’t. He never is. He says look, but he means don’t look.”
― Castle Freeman, All That I Have

“Gun’s only good when it’s the only gun,” Lester said.”
― Castle Freeman Jr., Go With Me

“No fence for you, though, I guess?’ I said. ‘I guess not,’ said Wingate. ‘I don’t like them.’ ‘Ain’t you afraid the same bear will come down the mountain one night and get your hives?’ ‘No, I ain’t. No bear will try it on around my place.’ ‘Why not?’ ‘I’m the sheriff.’ ‘You’re retired.’ ‘Bear don’t know that.”
― Castle Freeman, All That I Have