Quote Investigator® – Page 13

Quote Origin: Books Are Made Out of Books

Cormac McCarthy? Richard B. Woodward? Henry Holland? Paul Valéry? Anonymous?

**Illustration of books and flowers from Unsplash**

Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent literary figure was asked to name other influential writers. The sharp reply emphasized the interconnectedness of all cultural text:

The ugly fact is books are made out of books.

This statement has been ascribed to Cormac McCarthy who penned the novels “All the Pretty Horses”, “No Country for Old Men”, and “The Road”. Would you please help me to find a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1992 “The New York Times” published a profile of Cormac McCarthy by critic and essayist Richard B. Woodward. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

McCarthy’s style owes much to Faulkner’s — in its recondite vocabulary, punctuation, portentous rhetoric, use of dialect and concrete sense of the world — a debt McCarthy doesn’t dispute. “The ugly fact is books are made out of books,” he says. “The novel depends for its life on the novels that have been written.”

His list of those whom he calls the “good writers” — Melville, Dostoyevsky, Faulkner — precludes anyone who doesn’t “deal with issues of life and death.”

The notion that some books are constructed out of other books has a long history. For example, in 1844 an article in “The Spectator” depicted the derivative nature of books negatively while extolling the value of empirical exploration:²

The practice discarded by philosophy is still continued in literature, more especially by versifiers and novelists. Most of their books are made out of books or brains, instead of by a close and repeated observation of nature, such as even the tyro in natural science undertakes, to verify received truth.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: There Is a Thin Line Between Genius and Insanity. I Have Erased That Line

Oscar Levant? Zsa Zsa Gabor? John Dryden? Colin Wilson? Apocryphal?

Illustration of thin lines from Unsplash

Question for Quote Investigator: A self-deprecating comedian once delivered an acerbic remark about insanity. Here are two versions:

(1) There is a thin line between genius and insanity. I have erased that line.
(2) There is a fine line between sanity and insanity. I’ve managed to cross that line.

The concert pianist and game show panelist Oscar Levant has received credit for these statements. Would you please help me to find a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match found by QI appeared in the 1959 book “International Celebrity Register” which contained hundreds of short biographical sketches of popular figures. The profile of Oscar Levant contained the following. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

If he is in rare moments loathsome, it may well be because there is some truth in his own theory: “There is a thin line between genius and insanity. I have erased that line.”

The second version of the quotation appeared in Oscar Levant’s 1965 book “The Memoirs of an Amnesiac” as detailed further below. Hence, there is evidence that he used both versions of the quip.

Here are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: The Cat Sat On the Mat Is Not a Story; the Cat Sat On the Dog’s Mat is the Beginning of an Exciting Story

John le Carré? Michael Dean? Austin Kleon? James Scott Bell? Apocryphal?

A cat and a dog look warily at one another from Unsplash

Question for Quote Investigator: A popular story requires tension, danger, and conflict. A top-selling author once summarized this viewpoint with an entertaining statement about animals:

“The cat sat on the mat” is not a story. “The cat sat on the dog’s mat” is a story.

This adage has been credited to John le Carré, the famous author of espionage thrillers. Would you please help me to find a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1974 Michael Dean of the BBC interviewed John le Carré (pen name of David Cornwell). The transcript appeared in “The Listener” magazine. Le Carré discussed his method for constructing plots. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

There is the other kind of book where you take one character, you take another character and you put them into collision, and the collision arrives because they have different appetites, and you begin to get the essence of drama.

The cat sat on the mat is not a story; the cat sat on the dog’s mat is the beginning of an exciting story, and out of that collision, perhaps, there comes a sense of retribution.

Le Carré made similar statements in multiple interviews during the ensuing years.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: Hell Begins On the Day When God Grants Us a Clear Vision of All That We Might Have Achieved

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? Gian Carlo Menotti? John Greenleaf Whittier? Adelaide Anne Procter? Norman Cousins? Anonymous?

Illustration of an incomplete puzzle from Pixabay

Question for Quote Investigator: Looking back on one’s life sometimes produces a surge of regret for lost opportunities. Here are two versions of a statement expressing this feeling:

(1) Hell begins the day God grants you the vision to see all that you could have done, should have done, and would have done, but did not do.

(2) Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved . . . of all that we might have done which we did not do.

This notion has been attributed to the major German literary figure Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, but I have never seen a solid citation, and I am skeptical. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: QI has found no evidence that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe crafted this saying.

The earliest match located by QI appeared in “The Saturday Review of Literature” which printed remarks delivered by Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti at New York City’s Town Hall in March 1950. Menotti spoke about his conception of Hell. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

Hell begins on the day when God grants us a clear vision of all that we might have achieved, of all the gifts which we have wasted, of all that we might have done which we did not do.

The poet shall forever scream the poems which he never wrote; the painter will be forever obsessed by visions of the pictures which he did not paint . . .

Menotti summarized his viewpoint with the following line:

For me the conception of hell lies in two words: TOO LATE.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: Activism – It Pays the Rent on Being Alive and Being Here On the Planet

Alice Walker? Claudia Dreifus? Michael Franti? Alex Walker? Peter Noonan? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent social activist was asked to explain the rationale underlying her sustained efforts. Here are two versions of the response:

(1) Activism is my rent for living on this planet.
(2) My activism pays the rent on being here on the planet.

This reply is usually attributed to Alice Walker who won the Pulitzer Prize for penning the novel “The Color Purple”. I do not know the precise phrasing. Would you please help me to find a solid citation.

Reply from Quote Investigator: In August 1989 Alice Walker was interviewed by Claudia Dreifus in “The Progressive” magazine. Dreifus asked Walker about her history of activism. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

Q: More than many writers, you are known as a political activist. What do you get from activism?

Walker: Well, it pays the rent on being alive and being here on the planet. There are things that you really owe, I feel. I think if I weren’t active politically, I would feel as if I were sitting back eating at the banquet without washing the dishes or preparing the food. It wouldn’t feel right to me.

The question and answer format made it difficult to present Walker’s statement as a self-contained quotation. Strictly speaking, the word “activism” was spoken by Dreifus and not by Walker. Nevertheless, “The Progressive” magazine credited Alice Walker with a streamlined version of her remarks on the page showing the table of contents:²

‘My activism pays the rent on being alive and being here on the planet. If I weren’t active politically, I would feel as if I were sitting back eating at the banquet without washing the dishes or preparing the food.’

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: They Said It Couldn’t Be Done, But the Fool Didn’t Know It, So the Fool Went Ahead and Did It

Albert Einstein? Mary O’Hara? Raymond S. Tompkins? B. P. Fullerton? E. V. Allen? Anonymous?

The Wright Flyer together with Orville and Wilbur Wright

Question for Quote Investigator: Persistent incorrect beliefs can be a major barrier to discovery and invention. A humorous adage reflects this viewpoint. Here are two versions:

(1) Everyone knew it was impossible, until a fool who didn’t know came along and did it.

(1) People said it couldn’t be done; but the fool didn’t know it, so he went ahead and did it.

This notion has been attributed to the famous physicist Albert Einstein and the popular novelist Mary O’Hara; however, I have never seen a proper citation, and I am skeptical. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: There is no substantive evidence that Albert Einstein wrote or spoke this statement. It is not listed in the comprehensive reference “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein” from Princeton University Press.¹

Mary O’Hara did employ the saying in her 1941 novel “My Friend Flicka”, but the saying was already in circulation.

This saying is difficult to trace because it can be expressed in many ways. The earliest match located by QI appeared in February 1919 as a banner on the top of the front page of “The McClain County News” of Blanchard, Oklahoma. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:²

They said it couldn’t be done, but the poor fool didn’t know it, so he went ahead and did it.–Co-op

QI believes that the saying was probably already in circulation, and the original creator remains anonymous.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: Three Stages of Discovery: First, They Deny It Is True; Second, They Deny It Is Important; Third, They Deny It Is New

Alexander von Humboldt? Voltaire? Samuel Eliot Morison? Timothy Ferris? Bill Bryson? Apocryphal?

Depiction of Earth as seen from the moon

Question for Quote Investigator: Time is required for a society to fully comprehend and accept a major discovery. Resistance to a breakthrough occurs in a series of phases. Here are two versions of a cogent saying:

Three degrees of doubt: First, deny the discovery itself; Second, deny the importance; third, deny the novelty.

Three stages of discovery: first, people doubt its existence; second, they deny its importance; third, they credit someone else.

This saying has been attributed to German geographer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt. Would you please explore this topic?

Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match known to QI appeared in an 1836 book by Alexander von Humboldt titled “Examen Critique de L’Histoire de La Géographie du Nouveau Continent” (“Critical Examination of the History of Geography of the New Continent”). This passage in French is followed by an English translation. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

A toutes les époques d’une civilisation avancée, il en a été des découvertes géographiques comme des inventions dans les arts, et de ces grandes conceptions dans les lettres et les sciences, par lesquelles l’esprit humain tente de se frayer une route nouvelle; on nie d’abord la découverte même ou la justesse de la conception; plus tard on nie leur importance, enfin, leur nouveauté. Ce sont trois degrés d’un doute qui adoucit, du moins pour quelque temps, les chagrins causés par l’envie . . .

In all periods of an advanced civilization, there have been geographical discoveries as well as inventions in the arts, and these great conceptions in letters and sciences, by which the human mind attempts to forge a new path; we first deny the discovery itself or the accuracy of the conception; later we deny the importance, finally we deny the novelty. These are three degrees of doubt which soften, at least for a while, the sorrows caused by envy . . .

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: Your Room Is Not Your Prison. You Are

Sylvia Plath? Karen V. Kukil? Ronald Hayman? Apocryphal?

Public domain illustration of a bell jar

Question for Quote Investigator: A prominent literary figure who was experiencing bouts of intense anxiety wrote about feelings of restriction. Here are two versions:

(1) Your room is not your prison. You are.
(2) It isn’t your room that’s a prison, it’s yourself.

This notion has been attributed to acclaimed U.S. poet and novelist Sylvia Plath. Are either of these statements genuine? Would you please help me to determine the correct phrasing and a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: Sylvia Plath kept journals for many years which she filled with her private thoughts. She recorded the fact that she had both contemplated and attempted suicide.

Plath attended Smith College from 1951 to 1955. The following passage from 1953 employed a tone of self-reproach. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

Stop thinking selfishly of razors & self-wounds & going out and ending it all. Your room is not your prison. You are. And Smith cannot cure you; no one has the power to cure you but yourself.

The excerpt above appeared in “The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath 1950-1962” edited by Karen V. Kukil published in 2000. The entry was written between June 19, 1953 and July 14, 1953.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: When Colombus Promised a New Hemisphere, All Said That It Could Not Exist. When He Found It, All Said It Had Been Known Long Before

Voltaire? Abraham Hayward? Alexander von Humboldt? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: The resistance to new ideas is tenacious. Yet, there is a breathtaking reversal in attitude once a new idea is established.

The philosopher Voltaire has received credit for presenting the following example regarding Christopher Columbus. When the explorer proposed an expedition to reach a new hemisphere he was told that the place he envisioned did not exist. When his expedition reached the new hemisphere he was told that everyone already knew it existed.

Would you please help me to find a citation?

Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1756 Voltaire (pen name of François-Marie Arouet) published “Essai Sur Les Mœurs et L’Esprit des Nations” (“Essay On the Morals and Spirit of Nations”). The essay included the following passage about Christopher Columbus. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

Lorsque Colombo avait promis un nouvel hémisphère, on lui avait soutenu que cet hémisphère ne pouvait exister; & quand il l’eut découvert, on prétendit qu’il avait été connu depuis long-temps.

Here is one possible translation into English:

When Colombus promised a new hemisphere, he was told that this hemisphere could not exist; & when he discovered it, it was claimed that it had been known for a long time.

Of course, the hemisphere was not a new discovery to its many existing inhabitants. Voltaire’s statement was from the perspective of a European.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

Quote Origin: The Person Who Never Quotes Will Never Be Quoted

Charles Haddon Spurgeon? Apocryphal?

Question for Quote Investigator: Employing quotations enlivens your writings and speeches. The best quotations are forceful, witty, eloquent, authoritative, and persuasive. Here are three versions of a pertinent statement:

(1) You will never be quoted if you never quote.
(2) He who never quotes will never be quoted.
(3) He who never quotes, is never quoted.

This remark has been credited to a famous preacher. Would you please help me to trace it?

Reply from Quote Investigator: In 1863 the popular English preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon delivered a sermon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London. Spurgeon spoke about the necessity of reading and quoting. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:¹

The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted; he who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves that he has no brains of his own! Brothers and sisters, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. You need to read.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.