Tracing Quotations
James Baldwin? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Change is onerous. The prominent writer James Baldwin once constructed a vivid analogy between change and birth. Would you please help me to find a citation? Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1977 James Baldwin published an article titled “Every Good-bye Ain’t Gone” in “New York” magazine containing the …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Most of Us Are About as Eager To Be Changed as We Were To Be Born”
Buckminster Fuller? Richard Dreyfuss? C. S. Lewis? William Nicholson? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent futurist once said that our planet did not come with an instruction book. Therefore, we should act carefully while creating our own instruction book for living and flourishing. I think the author of this notion was Buckminster Fuller. Would …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Spaceship Earth: No Instruction Book Came With It”
Jean-Luc Godard? D. W. Griffith? Evelyn D. Miller? Frederick James Smith? George W. Sears? John Philip Sousa? Abel Gance? Fredric Wertham? Charlie Chaplin? John Boorman? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A powerful and jaded film director once listed the two crucial ingredients to achieve success: All you need for a movie is a girl and …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: All You Need To Make a Movie Is a Girl and a Gun”
Jean-Luc Godard? Roger Ebert? Gene Siskel? Nancy O’Higgins? Apocryphal Question for Quote Investigator: An influential film critic decided to become a filmmaker. Here are four versions of the explanation provided by the critic for this notable transformation: 1. Instead of writing criticism, I make a film.2. The only way to criticize a movie is to …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Instead of Writing Criticism, I Make a Film”
Wilma Mankiller? Cherokee Precept? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Everyone faces major setbacks in life. Maintaining a constructive outlook is essential to being resilient and moving forward. The following guidance can be difficult to follow, but it is enormously helpful: No matter what situation you’re in, find something good about it. This advice has been …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: No Matter What Situation You’re In, Find Something Good About It”
Mark Twain? Albert Einstein? Lee Segall? Lee Segal? J. Millar Watt? John Peer? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: According to a clever quip it is better to have one watch instead of two. The quip has been attributed to humorist Mark Twain, physicist Albert Einstein, broadcaster Lee Segall, and others. Would you please explore this …
George Bernard Shaw? Ogden Nash? Viva Begbie? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: I once heard the following humorous definition: Marriage — An alliance between two people: One can’t sleep with the window shut; the other can’t sleep with the window open. This definition has been attributed to the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw and the …
Rudyard Kipling? Mrs. Mallowe? Mrs. Hauksbee? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The following quotation embodies an irrepressible optimism: I always prefer to believe the best of everybody. It saves so much trouble. The famous author Rudyard Kipling has received credit for this remark, but I haven’t been able to find a citation. Are these really …
Oprah Winfrey? Mike Patrick? Peter A. LaPorta? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: Failure is painful, but it also provides an opportunity to learn. An apparent defeat may be transformed into a victory by using hard-won knowledge to discover a different pathway to success. The prominent television producer, entrepreneur, and actress Oprah Winfrey concisely communicated this …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: God’s Way of Pointing You in a New Direction”
W. C. Fields? Clifford Terry? Corey Ford? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: The famous comedian W. C. Fields apparently told a hilarious joke about whiskey. Here are three versions: (1) I always carry a flask of whisky in case of snake bite. I also carry a small snake. (2) I like to keep a bottle …