Andrew Vachss Quotes

We don’t protect our young, and we tolerate predators of our own species.

Victimizers of children are the enemies of any so-called society.

The third person narrator, instead of being omniscient, is like a constantly running surveillance tape.

The idea that you’re not a writer until you’re published is a lie.

People are pushing against the fabric of society all the time.

No politician is threatened by the child protective constituency, because it does not exist.

My life is triage.

Journalism is what maintains democracy. It’s the force for progressive social change.

Journalism is the protection between people and any sort of totalitarian rule. That’s why my hero, admittedly a flawed one, is a journalist.

I’m in pursuit of what cannot be achieved: perfection.

I think people should be consumers of journalism.

I don’t understand people whose gratification is a BMW. You don’t know what joy is until you see a kid who was tortured get adopted by a family.

I don’t take advances for my books.

I don’t sign contracts for my books.

I believe my publisher has shown a great deal of faith in me over a lot of years but I’m not prepared to be so arrogant to say that the long-term literary value of my work would compensate them for a financial failure.

Building a mechanical device for its appearance is like putting lace on a bowling ball.

A kid in an abusive home has far fewer rights than any POW. There is no Geneva Convention for kids.