Tracing Quotations
Ernest Hemingway? Natalie Goldberg? Conrad Aiken? Joan Crawford? Apocryphal? Question for Quote Investigator: I have repeatedly encountered the following advice directed toward aspiring writers: Write hard and clear about what hurts. This statement has been attributed to Ernest Hemingway, but I am skeptical because I have never seen a solid citation. Would you please explore …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Write Hard and Clear About What Hurts”
Jackie ‘Moms’ Mabley? Bette Davis? Joan Crawford? Craig Russell? Anonymous? Question for Quote Investigator: Two stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age were combative rivals. When one died the other said something like the following: I was taught that you shouldn’t speak of the dead unless you have something good to say. Therefore, I will only say …
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Nothing But Good Should Be Said of the Dead — He’s Dead. Good”