My younger brother’s death in Vietnam was both sobering and cause for reflection. In ‘Fallen Angels’ I wanted to dispel the notion of war as either romantic or simplistically heroic. – Walter Dean Myers
As a writer, I absorb stories, allow them to churn within my own head and heart – often for years – until I find a way of telling them that fits both my time and temperament. – Walter Dean Myers
As a kid I didn’t see black cowboys on the screen. What that said to me was that there were things I couldn’t do or be because of my color. What we see others like us do gives us permission to expand our own horizons. – Walter Dean Myers
One of the problems is that kids who don’t read – who are not doing well in school – they know they’re not doing well. And they want everyone to be in that same category. – Walter Dean Myers
I read a lot of comic books and any kind of thing I could find. One day, a teacher found me. She grabbed my comic book and tore it up. I was really upset, but then she brought in a pile of books from her own library. That was the best thing that ever happened to me. – Walter Dean Myers
I admired the work ethic of the cowboys I read about. The idea of these young people taking on this much responsibility was impressive. I would like modern readers to have an appreciation of this. – Walter Dean Myers
I talk to myself out loud at times, and feel embarrassed when people overhear me. – Walter Dean Myers
There were two very distinct voices going on in my head and I moved easily between them. One had to do with sports, street life and establishing myself as a male… The other voice, the one I had from my street friends and teammates, was increasingly dealing with the vocabulary of literature. – Walter Dean Myers
We all know we should eat right and we should exercise, but reading is treated as if it’s this wonderful adjunct. – Walter Dean Myers
If what I read doesn’t reflect my life – whether I’m gay or Latino or on welfare – doesn’t that really mean that my life is not valuable? – Walter Dean Myers
My dad was a janitor for U.S. Radium Corporation, and he stayed there for 37 years. So he didn’t read. – Walter Dean Myers
I am very much interested in getting parents to read to children, and trying to get people mentoring children. If I can do both I’ll be happy. – Walter Dean Myers
I had seen the ballet of ‘Swan Lake’ as a child but it was as an adult, when I saw a production featuring Erik Bruhn, that I first noticed how significant a part the ever-present threat of violence played. This juxtaposition of great beauty and grace with a backdrop of pure evil stayed with me for years. – Walter Dean Myers
So many organizations have a mentoring arm, but they don’t really do it. Their idea of mentoring a kid is giving them general advice. But what they need to do is read with children. – Walter Dean Myers
To fight for one’s country, to offer one’s very life to promote the well being of the United States, is truly a noble undertaking. But so is the vigilance of the citizen who carefully examines our leaders to see if political problems are being solved by wars simply because this seems to be the easiest solution. – Walter Dean Myers
Now, my mom did not read well and she read ‘True Romance’ magazines, but she read with me. And she would spend 30 minutes a day, her finger going along the page, and I learned to read. Eventually, by the time I was four and a half, she could iron and I could sit there and read the ‘True Romance.’ And that was wonderful. – Walter Dean Myers
What I found fascinating was just how quickly the best of the young Negro League players were drafted into the major leagues once Branch Rickey broke the color line by hiring Jackie Robinson. It was clear that all of the major league owners already knew the talents of the black ballplayers that they had refused to let into their league. – Walter Dean Myers
I was teased if I brought my books home. I would take a paper bag to the library and put the books in the bag and bring them home. Not that I was that concerned about them teasing me – because I would hit them in a heartbeat. But I felt a little ashamed, having books. – Walter Dean Myers
