Reading Quotes | Beyond Motive 5/9

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Reading Quotes

"The decision to write in prose instead of poetry is made more by the readers than by writers. Almost no one is interested in reading narrative in verse."

"The decision to write in prose instead of poetry is made more by the readers than by writers. Almost no one is interested in reading narrative in verse."

Robert Morgan, American Soldier

Reading, Poetry, Decision, Prose

7

"I think there is a great difference, in that when the poet is reading you get the whole personality of the person, especially if he's a good reader. Whereas a person just sitting gets what he puts into it."

"I think there is a great difference, in that when the poet is reading you get the whole personality of the person, especially if he's a good reader. Whereas a person just sitting gets what he puts into it."

James Laughlin, American Poet

Reading, Difference, Personality

7

"When you re-read a classic you do not see in the book more than you did before. You see more in you than there was before."

"When you re-read a classic you do not see in the book more than you did before. You see more in you than there was before."

Clifton Paul Fadiman, American Writer

7

"I don't read the Sunday papers; or the dailies, either."

"I don't read the Sunday papers; or the dailies, either."

Tom Holt, British Novelist

7

"For every SF reader of that period, Robert A. Heinlein was also a touchstone."

"For every SF reader of that period, Robert A. Heinlein was also a touchstone."

Walter Jon Williams, American Writer

7

"I went to college, but I learned to write by reading - and writing."

"I went to college, but I learned to write by reading - and writing."

Daniel Pinkwater, American Author

Reading, College, Writing

7

"We are all very ready to believe what we like."

"We are all very ready to believe what we like."

Samuel Richardson, English Novelist

7

"We had a script reading, and that's where we met J.K. Rowling, which was really exciting."

"We had a script reading, and that's where we met J.K. Rowling, which was really exciting."

Rupert Grint, English Actor

7

"I was a precocious reader."

"I was a precocious reader."

Norman Spinrad, American Author

7

"Culture means, I think, that you have widened your experience enough through reading and through being a little bit thoughtful about these things that it has changed your outlook in some ways. And not necessarily made you a better human being but made you see things."

"Culture means, I think, that you have widened your experience enough through reading and through being a little bit thoughtful about these things that it has changed your outlook in some ways. And not necessarily made you a better human being but made you see things."

Joseph Epstein, American Writer

Reading, Experience, Being, Culture

7

"I think reading Shakespeare's plays when I was young was extremely important. He had the ability to make utter strangers come alive."

"I think reading Shakespeare's plays when I was young was extremely important. He had the ability to make utter strangers come alive."

Rita Dove, American Poet

Reading, Ability, Shakespeare, Strangers

7

"Readers are plentiful: thinkers are rare."

"Readers are plentiful: thinkers are rare."

Anthony Burgess, English Novelist

7

"I concentrate on the lives of individuals whom the reader comes to know and feel with intimately."

"I concentrate on the lives of individuals whom the reader comes to know and feel with intimately."

Helen Dunmore, British Poet

7

"I should have worried about taking responsibilities for which I was not ready."

"I should have worried about taking responsibilities for which I was not ready."

Emma Bonino, Italian Politician

7

"We are always looking for the book it is necessary to read next."

"We are always looking for the book it is necessary to read next."

Saul Bellow, American Novelist

7

"Let me warn you, if you start chasing after views, you'll be left without bread and without views."

"Let me warn you, if you start chasing after views, you'll be left without bread and without views."

Nikolai Gogol, Russian Writer

7

"Finding people who get enormous pleasure from reading books is a more and more unusual experience, and so writers just so much want to be heard."

"Finding people who get enormous pleasure from reading books is a more and more unusual experience, and so writers just so much want to be heard."

Susie Bright, American Writer

Reading, Experience, People, Books, Pleasure

7

"In addition to the dread of Indians, Texas held out no inducements for Mexican emigrants."

"In addition to the dread of Indians, Texas held out no inducements for Mexican emigrants."

William H. Wharton, American Politician

7

"When it comes to the point where you occasionally look forward to being in prison on the basis that you might be able to spend a day reading a book, the realization dawns that perhaps the situation has become a little more stressful than you would like."

"When it comes to the point where you occasionally look forward to being in prison on the basis that you might be able to spend a day reading a book, the realization dawns that perhaps the situation has become a little more stressful than you would like."

Julian Assange, Australian Activist

Reading, Being, Day, Prison

7

"'All Our Yesterdays' was unquestionably the best work I have ever done. And the reading public stayed away in droves."

"'All Our Yesterdays' was unquestionably the best work I have ever done. And the reading public stayed away in droves."

Robert B. Parker, American Writer

Reading, Work, Public

6

"I bear solemn witness to the fact that NATO heads of state and of government meet only to go through the tedious motions of reading speeches, drafted by others, with the principal objective of not rocking the boat."

"I bear solemn witness to the fact that NATO heads of state and of government meet only to go through the tedious motions of reading speeches, drafted by others, with the principal objective of not rocking the boat."

Pierre Trudeau, Canadian Statesman

Reading, Government, Fact, State

6

"In some areas I am more noted for reading then I am for cookies!"

"In some areas I am more noted for reading then I am for cookies!"

Wally Amos, American Businessman

6

"I suppose if I was to have to pick a few, Ursula LeGuin would have to top the list. It was while reading her work that I decided I wanted to be an author."

"I suppose if I was to have to pick a few, Ursula LeGuin would have to top the list. It was while reading her work that I decided I wanted to be an author."

Sarah Zettel, American Author

6

"I was a big Nancy Drew reader. Nancy figures it out. Case closed."

"I was a big Nancy Drew reader. Nancy figures it out. Case closed."

Sarah Vowell, American Author

6

"I believe that writing is derivative. I think good writing comes from good reading."

"I believe that writing is derivative. I think good writing comes from good reading."

Charles Kuralt, American Journalist

Reading, Writing

6

"The reason Saul Bellow doesn't talk to me anymore is because he knows his new novels are not worth reading."

"The reason Saul Bellow doesn't talk to me anymore is because he knows his new novels are not worth reading."

Leslie Fiedler, American Critic

Reading, Reason, Talk, Worth

6

"There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a reading series at the Library of Congress and advise the librarian. The rest is how I want to promote poetry."

"There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a reading series at the Library of Congress and advise the librarian. The rest is how I want to promote poetry."

Rita Dove, American Poet

Reading, Poetry, Congress, Rest

6

"All over the country, they're reading about me, and the story doesn't center on me being gay. It's just about a gay person who is doing his job."

"All over the country, they're reading about me, and the story doesn't center on me being gay. It's just about a gay person who is doing his job."

Harvey Milk, American Politician

Reading, Being, Country, Gay, Job

6

"We read advertisements... to discover and enlarge our desires. We are always ready - even eager - to discover, from the announcement of a new product, what we have all along wanted without really knowing it."

"We read advertisements... to discover and enlarge our desires. We are always ready - even eager - to discover, from the announcement of a new product, what we have all along wanted without really knowing it."

Daniel J. Boorstin, American Historian

6

"The inevitable has always found me ready and hopeful."

"The inevitable has always found me ready and hopeful."

Amelia Barr, American Novelist

6

"The more I like a book, the more slowly I read. this spontaneous talking back to a book is one of the things that makes reading so valuable."

"The more I like a book, the more slowly I read. this spontaneous talking back to a book is one of the things that makes reading so valuable."

Anatole Broyard, American Critic

Reading, Talking

6

"I write early in the morning, usually after reading portions of at least half a dozen newspapers on the web."

"I write early in the morning, usually after reading portions of at least half a dozen newspapers on the web."

Alan Dean Foster, American Author

Reading, Newspapers

6

"I was at a benefit for some imprisoned students in the '60s at San Francisco State, and there were lots of poets reading for the benefit: one was Elizabeth Bishop."

"I was at a benefit for some imprisoned students in the '60s at San Francisco State, and there were lots of poets reading for the benefit: one was Elizabeth Bishop."

Thom Gunn, British Poet

Reading, Poets, State, Students

6

"You get recessions, you have stock market declines. If you don't understand that's going to happen, then you're not ready, you won't do well in the markets."

"You get recessions, you have stock market declines. If you don't understand that's going to happen, then you're not ready, you won't do well in the markets."

Peter Lynch, American Businessman

6

"I don't like to read novels where the novelist tells me what to think about the situation and the characters. I prefer to discover for myself."

"I don't like to read novels where the novelist tells me what to think about the situation and the characters. I prefer to discover for myself."

Frederick Wiseman, American Director

6

"When the student is ready... the lesson appears."

"When the student is ready... the lesson appears."

Gene Oliver, American Athlete

6

"I don't think I make much of a distinction between the 'real' and the 'fantastic.' They both seem to be threads in the same cloth as far as I'm concerned."

"I don't think I make much of a distinction between the 'real' and the 'fantastic.' They both seem to be threads in the same cloth as far as I'm concerned."

Alice Hoffman, American Author

6

"Reading, like writing, is a creative act. If readers only bring a narrow range of themselves to the book, then they'll only see their narrow range reflected in it."

"Reading, like writing, is a creative act. If readers only bring a narrow range of themselves to the book, then they'll only see their narrow range reflected in it."

Ben Okri, Nigerian Poet

Reading, Act, Writing

6

"The flood of print has turned reading into a process of gulping rather than savoring."

"The flood of print has turned reading into a process of gulping rather than savoring."

Raymond Chandler, American Writer

6

"Very few pilots even know how to read Morse code anymore. But if a pilot could read Morse code, he could tell which beacon he was approaching by the code that was flashing from it."

"Very few pilots even know how to read Morse code anymore. But if a pilot could read Morse code, he could tell which beacon he was approaching by the code that was flashing from it."

Mike Ferguson, American Politician

6

"After the writer's death, reading his journal is like receiving a long letter."

"After the writer's death, reading his journal is like receiving a long letter."

Jean Cocteau, French Director

Reading, Death, Writer

6

"And I've got some screenplays and plays ready to dip into when I need to."

"And I've got some screenplays and plays ready to dip into when I need to."

Neil LaBute, American Director

6

"These are just the tip of the iceberg, because I read and read and read. I read everything."

"These are just the tip of the iceberg, because I read and read and read. I read everything."

Jack Vance, American Author

6

"If I am communicating to my readers exactly what the White House believes on any certain issue, that's reporting to them an unvarnished, unfiltered version of what they - the Administration - believe."

"If I am communicating to my readers exactly what the White House believes on any certain issue, that's reporting to them an unvarnished, unfiltered version of what they - the Administration - believe."

Jeff Gannon, American Journalist

6

"It's much easier to consume the visual image than to read something."

"It's much easier to consume the visual image than to read something."

Lawrence Ferlinghetti, American Poet

6

"Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in which it is possible to commit some social sin."

"Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in which it is possible to commit some social sin."

Quentin Crisp, English Writer

Reading, Etiquette, Nothing, Sin

6

"If I couldn't read, I couldn't live."

"If I couldn't read, I couldn't live."

Douglas Sirk, German Director

6

"When I write, I'm still imagining a kid reading it on paper. I read e-books when I travel, but in general I still prefer holding an old-fashioned book in my hands. There's a special, tactile experience."

"When I write, I'm still imagining a kid reading it on paper. I read e-books when I travel, but in general I still prefer holding an old-fashioned book in my hands. There's a special, tactile experience."

Rick Riordan, American Novelist

Reading, Happiness, Truth, Wisdom, Power

6

"If you are dyslexic, your eyes work fine, your brain works fine, but there is a little short circuit in the wire that goes between the eye and the brain. Reading is not a fluid process."

"If you are dyslexic, your eyes work fine, your brain works fine, but there is a little short circuit in the wire that goes between the eye and the brain. Reading is not a fluid process."

Bruce Jenner, American Athlete

Reading, Work, Eye, Eyes

6

"I enjoyed reading all the classic authors like Isaac Asimov and Bradbury."

"I enjoyed reading all the classic authors like Isaac Asimov and Bradbury."

William Shatner, Canadian Actor

6

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