Quotes by Author | Beyond Motive 2/1391

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Quotes by Author

"Factions are a sign of illness in a party."

"Factions are a sign of illness in a party."

Ernest Mandel, Belgian Author

Unity, Illness, Party

36

"In a country like France, so ancient, their history is full of outstanding people, so they carry a heavy weight on their back. Who could write in French after Proust or Flaubert?"

"In a country like France, so ancient, their history is full of outstanding people, so they carry a heavy weight on their back. Who could write in French after Proust or Flaubert?"

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

History, People, Country, France

36

"In fact that is the struggle that most Americans - As rich as this country is, most Americans are very limited in their interaction with the world, unless the world comes to us in a very shocking way."

"In fact that is the struggle that most Americans - As rich as this country is, most Americans are very limited in their interaction with the world, unless the world comes to us in a very shocking way."

Edwidge Danticat, Haitian Author

Awareness, Americans, Country, Fact, Struggle

36

"They had always told me that I wrote like a man."

"They had always told me that I wrote like a man."

Ama Ata Aidoo, Ghanaian Author

36

"Society can exist only on the basis that there is some amount of polished lying and that no one says exactly what he thinks."

"Society can exist only on the basis that there is some amount of polished lying and that no one says exactly what he thinks."

Lin Yutang, Chinese Author

36

"Wise is he who enjoys the show offered by the world."

"Wise is he who enjoys the show offered by the world."

Fernando Pessoa, Portuguese Author

35

"I have an editor in my head, that's why I can't read Harry Potter, because Rowling is such a lousy writer."

"I have an editor in my head, that's why I can't read Harry Potter, because Rowling is such a lousy writer."

Colleen McCullough, Australian Author

Writing, Writer

35

"No news is good news."

"No news is good news."

Ludovic Halevy, French Author

35

"I always felt that the great high privilege, relief and comfort of friendship was that one had to explain nothing."

"I always felt that the great high privilege, relief and comfort of friendship was that one had to explain nothing."

Katherine Mansfield, New Zealander Author

Friendship, Comfort, Nothing, Privilege

35

"It has been said that the position of woman is the test of civilization, and that of our women was secure. In them was vested our standard of morals and the purity of our blood."

"It has been said that the position of woman is the test of civilization, and that of our women was secure. In them was vested our standard of morals and the purity of our blood."

Charles Eastman, Sioux Author

Woman, Women, Civilization, Blood, Morals

35

"Time, which changes people, does not alter the image we have retained of them."

"Time, which changes people, does not alter the image we have retained of them."

Marcel Proust, French Author

35

"Humor is the first of the gifts to perish in a foreign tongue."

"Humor is the first of the gifts to perish in a foreign tongue."

Virginia Woolf, British Author

Humor, First, Gifts, Tongue

35

"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get."

"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get."

H. Jackson Brown, Jr., American Author

Success, Happiness, Want

35

"More than this, even in those white men who professed religion we found much inconsistency of conduct. They spoke much of spiritual things, while seeking only the material."

"More than this, even in those white men who professed religion we found much inconsistency of conduct. They spoke much of spiritual things, while seeking only the material."

Charles Eastman, Sioux Author

Man, Men, Religion, Inconsistency, Spiritual

35

"Our challenge is not to let life mold us or break us."

"Our challenge is not to let life mold us or break us."

Sunday Adelaja, Nigerian Author

Courage, Challenge, Life, Mold, Break

35

"Contrary to what Kafka does, I always like to refer all of my fictions to the level of reality, He, on the other hand, leaves them at an imaginary level."

"Contrary to what Kafka does, I always like to refer all of my fictions to the level of reality, He, on the other hand, leaves them at an imaginary level."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

34

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

Marcel Proust, French Author

Discovery, Eyes

34

"Before machines the only form of entertainment people really had was relationships."

"Before machines the only form of entertainment people really had was relationships."

Doug Coupland, Canadian Author

Relationship, People, Entertainment, Machines, Relationships

34

"Also, people are not often aware of the way the United States' policies influence what happens in places like Haiti or El Salvador or Nicaragua. Or in Columbia right now."

"Also, people are not often aware of the way the United States' policies influence what happens in places like Haiti or El Salvador or Nicaragua. Or in Columbia right now."

Edwidge Danticat, Haitian Author

People, Influence, Now, Right

34

"In our time political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible."

"In our time political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible."

George Orwell, British Author

Time, Defense, Speech, Writing

34

"I believe in nothing, everything is sacred. I believe in everything, nothing is sacred."

"I believe in nothing, everything is sacred. I believe in everything, nothing is sacred."

Tom Robbins, American Author

34

"I, personally, have found reading a continual support to writing."

"I, personally, have found reading a continual support to writing."

Margaret Mahy, New Zealander Author

Reading, Support, Writing, Newzealander

33

"I'm not terribly happy about rock and roll. Certain rock music is uninspiring, numbing; it makes you feel like an idiot."

"I'm not terribly happy about rock and roll. Certain rock music is uninspiring, numbing; it makes you feel like an idiot."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

33

"Modern American cinema seems to me superficial. The intention is to understand a certain reality, and the result is nothing but a photographing of that reality."

"Modern American cinema seems to me superficial. The intention is to understand a certain reality, and the result is nothing but a photographing of that reality."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

Writing, American, Cinema, Intention, Nothing

33

"If it be true that our people represent a high percentage of mental vigor, the distinction is probably due, in some measure, to the extremely important part which Talmud studies have played in the spiritual life of the race."

"If it be true that our people represent a high percentage of mental vigor, the distinction is probably due, in some measure, to the extremely important part which Talmud studies have played in the spiritual life of the race."

Abraham Cahan, Lithuanian Author

Education, Life, People, Measure, Race

33

"Life is much shorter than I imagined it to be."

"Life is much shorter than I imagined it to be."

Abraham Cahan, Lithuanian Author

33

"Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best."

"Power is always dangerous. Power attracts the worst and corrupts the best."

Edward Abbey, American Author

33

"Life begins at forty."

"Life begins at forty."

Walter B. Pitkin, American Author

33

"To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization."

"To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization."

Harriet Beecher Stowe, American Author

33

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."

Henry David Thoreau, American Author

Attitude, Music, Man

33

"There was another life that I might have had, but I am having this one."

"There was another life that I might have had, but I am having this one."

Kazuo Ishiguro, Japanese Author

33

"We all agree on the necessity of compromise. We just can't agree on when it's necessary to compromise."

"We all agree on the necessity of compromise. We just can't agree on when it's necessary to compromise."

Larry Wall, Canadian Author

Compromise, Necessity

32

"For, usually and fitly, the presence of an introduction is held to imply that there is something of consequence and importance to be introduced."

"For, usually and fitly, the presence of an introduction is held to imply that there is something of consequence and importance to be introduced."

Arthur Machen, Welsh Author

32

"No man is as anti-feminist as a really feminine woman."

"No man is as anti-feminist as a really feminine woman."

Frank O'Connor, Irish Author

32

"Writing is a passion I have never understood, yet a storyteller is all I have ever wanted to be."

"Writing is a passion I have never understood, yet a storyteller is all I have ever wanted to be."

Ruth Park, New Zealander Author

Passion, Writing, Newzealander

32

"I had been plunged into a different world. I found myself spending half my time answering weird questions on book tours in the Midwest. People would stand up and explain to me the situation in their office and ask me whether they should resign or not."

"I had been plunged into a different world. I found myself spending half my time answering weird questions on book tours in the Midwest. People would stand up and explain to me the situation in their office and ask me whether they should resign or not."

Kazuo Ishiguro, Japanese Author

Time, People, Office, Questions

32

"There's a practical problem about time and energy, and a more subtle problem of what it does to a writer's head, to continually analyze why they write, where it all comes from, where it's going to."

"There's a practical problem about time and energy, and a more subtle problem of what it does to a writer's head, to continually analyze why they write, where it all comes from, where it's going to."

Kazuo Ishiguro, Japanese Author

Time, Energy, Writer

32

"The elements and majestic forces in nature, Lightning, Wind, Water, Fire, and Frost, were regarded with awe as spiritual powers, but always secondary and intermediate in character."

"The elements and majestic forces in nature, Lightning, Wind, Water, Fire, and Frost, were regarded with awe as spiritual powers, but always secondary and intermediate in character."

Charles Eastman, Sioux Author

Nature, Character, Fire, Spiritual

32

"Whenever one reads of the determination of the species, or opens a book on natural science and history, in whatever language, one inevitably comes across the name of Linne."

"Whenever one reads of the determination of the species, or opens a book on natural science and history, in whatever language, one inevitably comes across the name of Linne."

Johannes Vilhelm Jensen, Danish Author

Science, History, Determination, Language

32

"Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets."

"Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets."

Paul Tournier, Swiss Author

Criticism, Lonely, Nothing, Secrets

32

"There was no religious ceremony connected with marriage among us, while on the other hand the relation between man and woman was regarded as in itself mysterious and holy."

"There was no religious ceremony connected with marriage among us, while on the other hand the relation between man and woman was regarded as in itself mysterious and holy."

Charles Eastman, Sioux Author

Marriage, Ceremony, Man, Religious

32

"The nature of rumor is known to all."

"The nature of rumor is known to all."

Tertullian, Roman Author

32

"Creating these messes that go from administration to administration and then you swoop in and clean them up - with that heroic Delta force - people not realizing that they were always there but doing different things than what we see them doing at the moment."

"Creating these messes that go from administration to administration and then you swoop in and clean them up - with that heroic Delta force - people not realizing that they were always there but doing different things than what we see them doing at the moment."

Edwidge Danticat, Haitian Author

32

"The clan is nothing more than a larger family, with its patriarchal chief as the natural head, and the union of several clans by intermarriage and voluntary connection constitutes the tribe."

"The clan is nothing more than a larger family, with its patriarchal chief as the natural head, and the union of several clans by intermarriage and voluntary connection constitutes the tribe."

Charles Eastman, Sioux Author

Family, Connection, Nothing

32

"What is difficult is the promotion, balancing the public side of a writer's life with the writing. I think that's something a lot of writers are having to face. Writers have become much more public now."

"What is difficult is the promotion, balancing the public side of a writer's life with the writing. I think that's something a lot of writers are having to face. Writers have become much more public now."

Kazuo Ishiguro, Japanese Author

Life, Now, Promotion, Public

31

"Were I more conversant with literature and its great names, I could go on quoting them ad infinitum and acknowledge my debt for the merit you have been generous enough to find in my work."

"Were I more conversant with literature and its great names, I could go on quoting them ad infinitum and acknowledge my debt for the merit you have been generous enough to find in my work."

Knut Hamsun, Norwegian Author

Work, Debt, Literature, Merit

31

"There is nothing like being left alone again, to walk peacefully with oneself in the woods. To boil one's coffee and fill one's pipe, and to think idly and slowly as one does it."

"There is nothing like being left alone again, to walk peacefully with oneself in the woods. To boil one's coffee and fill one's pipe, and to think idly and slowly as one does it."

Knut Hamsun, Norwegian Author

Being, Coffee, Nothing

31

"If a spectator with a philosophical mind, somebody accustomed to reading books, gets the same kind of information in a movie, he might not fully understand it."

"If a spectator with a philosophical mind, somebody accustomed to reading books, gets the same kind of information in a movie, he might not fully understand it."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

Books, Information, Mind, Reading

31

"My only fantasy about writing was that in my old days, after directing many masterpieces, I would write my memoirs."

"My only fantasy about writing was that in my old days, after directing many masterpieces, I would write my memoirs."

Manuel Puig, Argentinian Author

Movies, Fantasy, Old, Writing

31

"Be modest, humble, simple. Control your anger."

"Be modest, humble, simple. Control your anger."

Abraham Cahan, Lithuanian Author

Humility, Anger, Control

31

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