Ursula K. Le Guin? Elaine Partnow? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: People have employed psychoactive substances for centuries to pursue alertness, pleasure, insights, thrills, and sundry goals. Yet, a famous speculative fiction author asserted that the brain by itself could achieve infinitely fascinating responses without chemical intervention. Would you please help me to find a …
Yearly Archives: 2021
Quote Origin: You May Not Be Interested in War, But War Is Interested in You
Leon Trotsky? Fannie Hurst? James Burnham? O. H. Steiner? Marshall Berman? Michael Walzer? Donald Barthelme? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Several sayings have employed the following templates: (1) You may not be interested in X, but X is interested in you.(2) We may not be interested in X, but X is interested in us.(3) They …
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Quote Origin: While We Read a Novel, We Are Insane—Bonkers
Ursula K. Le Guin? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Apparently the acclaimed science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin stated that the people who read her books were insane or bonkers. This is an odd thing to say. Did Le Guin really say this? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1969 Ursula K. Le Guin published …
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Quote Origin: My Life Is My Message
Mohandas Gandhi? Charles E. Garst? Laura DeLany Garst? Jerome D. Davis? Karl Quimby? Deton J. Brooks? Harold Ehrensperger? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A visitor once met with a revered leader and asked for guidance: “Do you have a message for the people?” “My life is my message.” This reply has been attributed to Mahatma …
Quote Origin: It Is Good To Have an End To Journey Towards; But It Is the Journey That Matters, in the End
Ernest Hemingway? Ursula K. Le Guin? Lynn H. Hough? Question for Quote Investigator: It is natural to assign meaning or purpose to the terminus of a long journey, but the value truly lies within the journey itself. This notion has been expressed as follows: It is good to have an end to journey toward; but …
Quote Origin: You May Not Be Interested in Absurdity, But Absurdity Is Interested in You
Donald Barthelme? Fannie Hurst? Gore Vidal? Question for Quote Investigator: A wide variety of sayings have employed the following template: You may not be interested in X, but X is interested in you. Different terms have been substituted for X including: war, politics, dialectic, and strategy. In addition, variant templates have occurred: We may not …
Quote Origin: The Center Will Not Hold If It Has Been Spot-Welded by an Operator Whose Deepest Concern Is His Lottery Ticket
Donald Barthelme? William Butler Yeats? Question for Quote Investigator: A poet once proclaimed with despair that the center cannot hold. The postmodern storyteller Donald Barthelme quipped that the center would not hold if it was welded together by a distracted worker. Would you please help me to find a citation. Also, I cannot recall the …
Quote Origin: The Thing About Books Is, There Are Quite a Number You Don’t Have To Read
Donald Barthelme? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: When I was a young child I found the number of books in my local library overwhelming. I wondered how one could find the time to read so many books? When I was a slightly older child, I concluded that there were a enormous number that you don’t …
Quote Origin: A Healed Femur Is the Earliest Sign of True Civilization
Margaret Mead? Paul Brand? Philip Yancey? Steven C. Beering? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A primordial human who fell and broke a femur (thigh bone) would have faced terrible odds of survival. A vulnerable individual who was unable to walk and gather food would probably expire. Yet, a caring and supportive culture would enable recovery. …
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Quote Origin: Poetry Is Music Written for the Human Voice
Maya Angelou? Bertha Flowers? Bill Moyers? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Rhyme and rhythm often produce a lovely euphony in poems. This notion has been expressed as follows: Poetry is music written for the human voice. These words have been attributed to Renaissance woman Maya Angelou, but some people assert that she disclaimed credit. Would …
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