Rita Mae Brown is an American author that is best known for her coming of age autobiographical novel, Rubyfruit Jungle, which discussed her views on feminism and lesbianism. Early in her career, Ms. Brown was active in many civil rights campaigns, especially around Lesbian Issues. She is a bit of a fiery personality and she was involved in many feuds with the leadership because she felt that lesbians were being marginalized within feminist groups. Rita co-founded two women’s liberation groups, the Furies and the Student Homophile League.
In 1973, Rita published her most notable and controversial novel, Rubyfruit Jungle which was a “coming of age” story about Molly Bolt, a lesbian. This book is widely credited with helping to eradicate stereotypes and perceptions people had about lesbian women at that time during the 1970’s in the U.S. The character is fictional but draws from Rita’s own experiences with coming out and discovering her own sexuality. During the 1970’s, Ms. Brown wrote many other novels and had some relationships with other famous women including Martina Navratrilova.
Ms. Brown has had many accomplishments and awards during her career as an author. In 1982, Brown was nominated for an Emmy and, went on to win a Writer’s Guild award during the same year for I Love Liberty which was nominated for the Best Variety Show on Television. In 2015, Rita received the Pioneer Award for lifetime achievement at the Lambda Literary Awards i
Brown later began to write novels coauthored with her cat Sneaky Pie. At the time of this writing, Rita Mae Brown resides on her farm in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Our Favorite Rita Mae Brown Quotes
As a woman, I find it very embarrassing to be in a meeting and realize I’m the only one in the room with balls.
Rita Mae Brown
I believe the true function of age is memory. I’m recording as fast as I can.
Rita Mae Brown
I believe in a lively disrespect for most forms of authority.
Rita Mae Brown
There are very few people who are creative and imaginative. Therefore, fiction is difficult for people to embrace.
Rita Mae Brown
We animals live life in all its glorious uncertainty. Why do politicians think they can control events?
Rita Mae Brown
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If you like my novels, I commend your good taste.
Rita Mae Brown
There hasn’t been a day in my life since I started Latin in ninth grade that I haven’t benefited by the lives of the ancients.
Rita Mae Brown
Every action is either strong or weak, and when every action is strong we are successful.
Rita Mae Brown
I believe you are your work. Don’t trade the stuff of your life, time, for nothing more than dollars. That’s a rotten bargain.
Rita Mae Brown
Not until my middle thirties did I consider myself a novelist.
Rita Mae Brown
Divorce is the one human tragedy that reduces everything to cash.
Rita Mae Brown
No animal on the face of the earth could conceive of taxation. You and I work roughly six months a year to pay our local, state and federal taxes. If nothing else, this should convince you that animals are smarter than people.
Rita Mae Brown
One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.
Rita Mae Brown
Normal is the average of deviance.
Rita Mae Brown
I have no idea what will come next in my writing life or life in general. I like not knowing, but I know what I want. That doesn’t mean it will happen, but I’ll give it my best try.
Rita Mae Brown
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I earned two Emmy nominations for writing, and two of the shows I had written were nominated for best in their category.
Rita Mae Brown
I think the reason I choose the comic approach so often is because it’s harder, therefore affording me the opportunity to show off.
Rita Mae Brown
Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides.
Rita Mae Brown
I’ve met many irresponsible people in my life but never an irresponsible cat.
Rita Mae Brown
Virginia Woolf said that writers must be androgynous. I’ll go a step further. You must be bisexual.
Rita Mae Brown
Don’t ask to live in tranquil times. Literature doesn’t grow there.
Rita Mae Brown
Political elections are not life and death.
Rita Mae Brown
Education is a wonderful thing. If you couldn’t sign your name you’d have to pay cash.
Rita Mae Brown
To love without role, without power plays, is revolution.
Rita Mae Brown
Cats and dogs believe politicians are like cemetery caregivers; they are on top of everyone, but nobody listens.
Rita Mae Brown
Writers will happen in the best of families.
Rita Mae Brown
Art is moral passion married to entertainment. Moral passion without entertainment is propaganda, and entertainment without moral passion is television.
Rita Mae Brown
You sell a screenplay like you sell a car. If someone drives it off a cliff, that’s it.
Rita Mae Brown
I don’t think you can ever assess your work. I don’t think Turgenev could assess his any more than I can assess mine, and his didn’t have a social impact as much as great literary impact.
Rita Mae Brown
Women who love women are Lesbians. Men, because they can only think of women in sexual terms, define Lesbian as sex between women.
Rita Mae Brown
All creatures tread across the rubble of ruined civilizations. The trick is to keep moving. No animal ever goes about dispensing shallow compassion.
Rita Mae Brown
While cats can be infuriating, little old women in fur coats, they make me laugh. Of course, dogs, horses and my highly social chickens are dear to me, too.
Rita Mae Brown
Moral passion without entertainment is propaganda, and entertainment without moral passion is television.
Rita Mae Brown
The only queer people are those who don’t love anybody.
Rita Mae Brown
Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.
Rita Mae Brown
A life of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually. One must fight for a life of action, not reaction.
Rita Mae Brown
About all you can do in life is be who you are. Some people will love you for you. Most will love you for what you can do for them, and some won’t like you at all.
Rita Mae Brown
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from some form of mental illness. Think of your three best friends. If they’re okay, then it’s you.
Rita Mae Brown
Recognition of function always precedes recognition of being.
Rita Mae Brown
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A peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one.
Rita Mae Brown
I became a lesbian because of women, because women are beautiful, strong, and compassionate.
Rita Mae Brown
A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it’s better than no inspiration at all.
Rita Mae Brown
Intuition is a suspension of logic due to impatience.
Rita Mae Brown
Humor comes from self-confidence.
Rita Mae Brown
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I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.
Rita Mae Brown
Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.
Rita Mae Brown
The reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.
Rita Mae Brown
If the world were a logical place, men would ride side saddle.
Rita Mae Brown
Lead me not into temptation; I can find the way myself.
Rita Mae Brown
Life is too short to be miserable.
Rita Mae Brown
Morals are private. Decency is public.
Rita Mae Brown
You can’t be truly rude until you understand good manners.
Rita Mae Brown
Hollywood called just as I crested thirty. My novels did not and still do not interest them, but my writing ability did.
Rita Mae Brown
Leroy bet me I couldn’t find a pot of gold at the end, and I told him that was a stupid bet because the rainbow was enough.
Rita Mae Brown
I am a comic writer, which means I get to slay the dragons, and shoot the bull.
Rita Mae Brown
If you don’t like my book, write your own. If you don’t think you can write a novel, that ought to tell you something. If you think you can, do. No excuses. If you still don’t like my novels, find a book you do like.
Rita Mae Brown
Video: Rubyfruit Jungle Review
In this video, Kat reviews Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown. If you’re looking for a book about growing up and defying society’s role for you, then this is the perfect book for you.
Related: The Most Poetic Quotes from Sappho
Summary
At the time of this writing, Rita Mae Brown is in her late 70’s and she lives in Afton, Virginia.
Her most famous book is still Rubyfruit Jungle, which is still the best place to start if you want to read more of her works.
I’m Alice Judy and AnQuotes is a fun hobby for me. We know that everyone loves a great quote and our mission here is simple – to be the best and most interesting quote site in the world! If you have quotes you would like us to cover, please contact us.