Tracing Quotations
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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: While We Read a Novel, We Are Insane—Bonkers”
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: A Healed Femur Is the Earliest Sign of True Civilization”
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 …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Poetry Is Music Written for the Human Voice”
Ernestine Ulmer? Arthur Murray? Earl Wilson? Leopold Fechtner? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: T-shirts and bumper stickers present a modern proverb about the precariousness of existence. Here are two versions: Ernestine Ulmer often receives credit although that name is somewhat obscure. Would you please explore the provenance of this expression? Reply from Quote Investigator: The …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Life Is Uncertain. Eat Dessert First”
Anton Chekhov? Ivan Bunin? André Maurois? Paul Engle? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: A famous author offered the following astonishing advice: After completing a story one should cross out the beginning and the end. This guidance has been attributed to the prominent Russian playwright and short-story writer Anton Chekhov. Would you please explore this topic? …