A thought about war and presidents
“We have long since made clear that a state of war is not a blank check for the President when it comes to the rights of the Nation’s citizens.”— Sandra Day O’Connor The U.S. Supreme… Read More
Tag: Quotations
A thought on the powerful connections between women
“The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.”— Adrienne Rich The poet Adrienne Rich had a long writing career and a… Read More
A thought on why it’s perfectly OK to have many books going at the same time
“I am reading six books at once, the only way of reading; since, as you will agree, one book is only a single unaccompanied note, and to get the full sound, one needs ten others… Read More
A thought about how New Yorkers aren’t rude; they’re just in a hurry
“Etiquette in New York is all about time management. In other places, you seem rude if you see someone and don’t talk to them long enough. But here, it’s all about speed. And people are… Read More
A thought on the variety of making an egg
“The test of a cook is how she boils an egg. My boiled eggs are fantastic, fabulous. Sometimes as hard as a 100 carat diamond, or again soft as a feather bed, or running like… Read More
A thought on the limits of being neutral when you’re a journalist
“It would be irresponsible for me and CNN to tell you what the person being gang-raped says, what the rapist says — and to give each equal time and moral equivalence. I can’t do that… Read More
A thought on the line between actor and audience, and other things about Tim Curry
“It’s an odd pairing. I’ve always loved the audience, but from a distance. Once you’ve elicited a strong response from an audience, you want it again. That kind of an energy is as addictive as… Read More
A thought on the fear of being left alone
“I don’t know if anyone has noticed but I only ever write about one thing: being alone. The fear of being alone, the desire to not be alone, the attempts we make to find our… Read More
Natalie Merchant on being thankful to our mothers’ generation
“I wanted to create a woman who would be representative of my mother’s generation, because these women are leaving us, and I feel a great debt of gratitude to them. Not only was I raised… Read More
A thought on writing (and not revising until the draft is done)
“I learned this lesson too late, frankly: Do not judge it while you’re doing it. Do not go back and fix things that are 20 pages ago when you’re already 20 pages past that. You’ll… Read More
A thought on propaganda, and who craves it
“Only the mob and the elite can be attracted by the momentum of totalitarianism itself. The masses have to be won by propaganda.” — Hannah Arendt Hannah Arendt, who had an enormous influence on what… Read More
A clever thought about a stupid reputation
“The great advantage of having a reputation for being stupid: people are less suspicious of you.”— Richard Curtis These words come out of the mouth of Tom, the richer-than-rich, loyal and slightly daft friend in… Read More
A thought on habits
“Curious things, habits. People themselves never knew they had them.”— Agatha Christie Composed for the short story Witness for the Prosecution (later a play, and later adapted several times for the screen), this insight from… Read More
A thought on failure, science and resisting instant gratification
“It is very well known that you learn more from failure—when things are not working well… It is very important not to focus on success—it’s so rare. If you want instant gratification, don’t be a… Read More
A thought on about how bureaucracy can be so defensive
“Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.”– Laurence J. Peter Born in Vancouver, Peter found fame in the United States, and became well enough known that… Read More