Quote Drive: What’s Your Favorite Quote by a Woman?

Deborah Siegel harnesses the wisdom of the She Writes quote borg. Got quote? Post it here!

You’ve heard of a coat drive, right? Well today here on She Writes, Kamy and I would like to introduce The Quote Drive (Kamy's ingenious phrase). Just as coats provide warmth in wind and gale, words from women—and in particular, women writers—can both comfort and heat up our soul. But I’m quitting with the analogy, before it devolves into cliché; you get the drift.

Here’s how it works; it's pretty simple. Post your favorite quote by a woman (or about women) in comments to this post.

Let’s cast our net wide:
-It can be by someone living or dead.
-It can be by a writer, a famous person, or someone well known(ish) with something kicky or poignant or true to say about the fairer (ha) sex.
-It can be by a fellow She Writer.
-It can be by you.

Be sure to attribute!

We’ll collect them over time, and we'll come up with a cool way, eventually, to share them. Stay tuned on that.

Here we go. I’m starting us off with a few from the women I spoke with on a panel about work/life balance across generations earlier this week in Kansas City, the “Women, Girls, and Ladies,” as we call ourselves. Because they inspire me to no end.

"Nobody loves you better because you have used yourself up for them." –Gloria Feldt, author of No Excuses: 9 Women Can Change How We Think About Power (pubbing Oct 5!)

"For a writer who's used to being in her own head, being around other people all the time can feel like a loss of self." -- Kristal Brent Zook, author of Black Women’s Lives

“I want to get good at failure, and redefine success.” --Courtney Martin, author of Do It Anyway: The Next Generation of Activists (just out!)

Plus, a bonus track from a new friend, who also happens to be Assignments and Syndication Editor at BlogHer and came to our panel in Kansas City this week (and wrote about it!)

“It's an extreme act of love to give the object of your affection time and space to feed her soul.” – Rita Arens, author of Sleep is for the Weak and blogger at Surrender Dorothy

Ok, your turn. What words by--or about--women inspire the heck out of you, or merely say something heartwrenchingly or gutwrenchingly true? And hey, after you post, tweet it too! (hashtag #shewritesdotcom)

Tags: #things we care about, quotedrive, women

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Comment by Theresa Krueger on May 7, 2011 at 2:53am: "We can not all do great things but we can do small things with great love." Mother Theresa

Comment by Octavia McBride-Ahebee on May 2, 2011 at 8:40pm: "There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside you." Zora Neale Hurston

Comment by Ronna Detrick on April 20, 2011 at 5:25pm: What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open. (Muriel Rukeyser)

Comment by Cathy on April 10, 2011 at 3:12pm: Everyone has put in some really fantastic quotes; some that are in my collection of favorites; I thought I'd add two that I just love; one more serious than the other:)

"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud." ~ Coco Chanel

"Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me." ~ Audrey Hepburn

Comment by Beth Eileen Cavalli on March 23, 2011 at 2:29pm: You must do the things you think you cannot do. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' Eleanor Roosevelt

Comment by Debra Weiner on March 8, 2011 at 7:21am: "To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one." Colette

Comment by Eileen Granfors on March 3, 2011 at 10:44am: "God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages."
Jacques Deval

Comment by Michelle T. on March 2, 2011 at 2:35pm: "Control your emotions, don't let them control you." - SinglesMagazine.Net

Comment by Nancy Kirkland on February 26, 2011 at 4:04pm: "Disappointment to a noble sould is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies but never destroys it." ~~Eliza Tabor~~

Comment by PoDiMo on February 25, 2011 at 8:17pm: "For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, only speak words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone." (Audrey Hepburn)