Ottessa Moshfegh Quotes
Born: May 20, 1981
Ottessa Moshfegh is a literary force who excavates the raw, uncomfortable truths of human existence with unflinching precision. Her work, celebrated for its dark humor and psychological depth, offers a stark philosophy: that wisdom is born not from evasion, but from staring directly into life’s grotesque, lonely, and absurd corners. As the author of *My Year of Rest and Relaxation* and *Eileen*, she dissects the quiet desperation of modern comfort, urging a radical, almost brutal honesty with the self. Moshfegh’s quotes resonate because they refuse to sugarcoat; they grant permission to embrace our own flawed, messy humanity, finding a strange, defiant grace in the struggle.
Ottessa Moshfegh Quotes (9)
"I've found that people get particularly frustrated and shut down when women in fiction are disgusting or disordered."
— Ottessa Moshfegh"I've always been interested in family secrets and what happens behind closed doors. I find that fascinating and creepy - that's why I read: because I want to know other people's secrets."
— Ottessa Moshfegh"It's insane that people have these Internet identities. It has very little to do with who we really are. As a writer, who I'm friends with, how I spend my time, what I look like, what I wear, what I eat, what kind of music I like - it's totally not important to the work."
— Ottessa Moshfegh"In my own experience, I've found that it's very difficult to make peace with women. We tend to be competitive and feel angry."
— Ottessa Moshfegh"I've always really enjoyed sharing my work with others. I find it really hard if I don't think the work will exist outside of my own apartment."
— Ottessa Moshfegh"Puberty extends into your twenties, for sure, and some people don't get over that until much later in life. I feel like I'm just starting to get over puberty - basically twenty years of insufferable, totally self-obsessed hell."
— Ottessa Moshfegh"My dad is a gentle and brilliant Iranian violinist."
— Ottessa Moshfegh"I've always known what I'm meant to do. The path of my life has been about discovering what I need to do to support myself as a writer."
— Ottessa Moshfegh"Once I finished 'Eileen,' I wanted to write more novels. I don't see myself stopping any time soon."
— Ottessa Moshfegh