Comments on Quotations

Carol Troestler wrote:

From Robert Louis Stevenson 1913

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

(Two more verses)

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

How many times in my life have I felt like a shadow? Too many to mention. I'm not sure this fits with the western dragon being my shadow.


Carol

I've always considered the western dragon (particularly a green one), to be my totem animal. Hmmm. Maybe I need to rethink that.

Anyway, here is another one of my favorite quotes. Not about writing, but still pretty cool:

"The fewer men, the greater the share of honour" -- King Henry V

Carol,
Lynn had "My Shadow" memorized as soon as she could put sentences together. It's certainly an easy concept to embrace.


"The fewer men, the greater the share of honour"
-- King Henry V

Quote :

O, do not wish one more!
....................................................
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.

A perfect line for this "happy few."

Ann

Here's one from Stephen King:






"If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools)
to write. Simple as that."



If you haven't read his memoir/writing how to On Writing, you should. It's awesome.

I’m reading “CHURCHILL – A life” by Martin Gilbert

A quote by Churchill:
…”that people who think much of the next world rarely prosper in this: that men must use their minds and nations rarely promotes their industry; that, in a phrase, Catholicism – all religion if you like, but particularly Catholicism – is a delicious narcotic. It may soothe our pains and chase our worries, but it checks our growth and saps our strength. And since the improvement of the British breed is my political aim in life, I would not permit too great indulgence if I could prevent it without assailing another great principle – Liberty.”

There are numerous quotes from Churchill that give much insight about the man. His manner of writing would give today’s writing critics a field day.

Hi Shelegh

A huge thanks for posting the Quine quote. Reading it was a real blast from the past as I have not looked at any of his works for 20 years. I lived and breathed it for a while (but you can have too much of a good thing).

I would love to know how you found it?

BW

Mike

Abe wrote:

Quote :

There are numerous quotes from Churchill that give much insight about
the man. His manner of writing would give today’s writing critics a
field day.

I don't think they would bother him too much, Abe:

Quote :

From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with
which I will not put.
Winston Churchill

Ann

mike bryon wrote:

Hi Shelegh

A huge thanks for posting the Quine quote. Reading it was a real blast from the past as I have not looked at any of his works for 20 years. I lived and breathed it for a while (but you can have too much of a good thing).

I would love to know how you found it?

BW

Mike

I Google therefore I am. A researcher, that is.

Ann, you're right. He was his own.
Having read so much about the "right way" to write, Churchill would have failed. But then we had a Dick Stodghill who was also his own man and admired.

This might get me in trouble, but here is my very favorite quote from Walt Whitman:

Do I contradict myself?
Very well, then, I contradict myself;
(I am large—I contain multitudes.)

That's a good one, Chris. We all contradict ourselves from time to time. I don't think I would be able to make 5,900 posts without contradicting myself!

I'm tutoring again, but here's one to think about. It speaks to us as writers:

Quote :

Masterpieces are not single and solitary births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by the body of the people, so that the experience of the mass is behind the single voice.
VIRGINIA WOOLF

Ann

alj wrote:

I'm tutoring again, but here's one to think about. It speaks to us as writers:

Quote :

Masterpieces are not single and solitary births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by the body of the people, so that the experience of the mass is behind the single voice.
VIRGINIA WOOLF

Ann

That reminds of (all things) a quote from Pink Floyd:

"Things you say/the things you/surround me"

I've met writers who say you should never read in your genre while you writing. I can see the angle they coming from but I think that dilutes the influences that make a work what it is. As Michael Chabon says:

"All novels are sequels; influence is bliss."

Pink Floyd is after my time. I'llcheck with my kids and get back to you.

Ann

The view from the fence isn't all bad...you can view the green grass and the weeds on both sides.

Passerby: God has blessed you with a wonderful farm
Farmer: You should have seen it when he had it all to himself.

Abe, I like that one! I first read it in a magazine article by Audie Murphy called, "You do the Prayin' and I'll do the Shootin'." I think I may have referenced it in my book.

For the past few days, I've been reading a free e-book that I found while I was googling. It's called The Art of Original Thinking: The Making of a Thought Leader. The quotations I've posted on this thread have come from sources used by the author, Jan Phillips. Here are a few of her own words:

Quote :

The wisdom of humanity is dispersed among its members, and the real leaders are those who can evoke that wisdom, summon the members to find their voices, and create a forum for them to be heard.

Thanks to the wisdom of Shelagh, this forum has the capacity to do that. Phillips writes about how no one of us has the whole answer to any question, but we can come closer when we put our ideas together, and how it is not about "or," but "and." I am really enjoying and learning much from this little book.

Ann

Ann,

I love the quote. I'm going to look for the book.

Carol

Here is the site, Carol. It is basically written for businesses, and how they can contribute to a sustainable economy and an equalization of opportunity and still maintain a profit, but there is much we can all learn from.

http://www.janphillips.com/downloads/ArtofOriginalThinking.pdf

Ann

Here is another cogent quote from Phillips:

Quote :

Fear is in the air now because each side is building a formidable case for its rightness, and the energy that might be spent on solving the problems is going into proving the other side wrong. The butterfly will never get off the ground if the right wing is at war with the left wing. The answers that we are seeking lie between the right and left and the only way to access them is to move toward the other, to re-pair the opposites. But one look at our culture—from our religions to our media to our politics—reveals a history of opposition, a “divide and conquer” disposition.

She wrote this book in 2006, folks. Talk about being prescient!

Ann

Quote :

The Promised Land is not a place to be conquered by armies and solidified by displacing other people. The Promised Land is a corner in the heart.

Joseph Campbell; Thou Art That

I have this little widget from the Joseph Campbell Foundation at the top of my homepage. Every few hours it posts a new quotation. This one reminds me of why I admire the man so. He has another about the problems that come from literalizing the symbol that fits well with this one.

And another that says that the new mythology needs to serve the world, rather than a single culture.

It seems so important, especially now, for my writing to move in the direction of that new mythology. It seems to me that our work should have a sense of genuine purpose, and be of service to the concerns of people today. I am not writing much right now, other than journal entries that may become blogs once I have a more clear sense of direction. I am mostly reading and exploring. For the moment, I have a bit of a one-track mind. Did you notice?

Anyway, just letting you know why I'm not around as much on some days.

Ann

Poet/critic Louis Untermeyer once said that science fiction is building the new mythology of our times.

Lin,

Do you suppose that our cell phones started from the communicators on Star Trek?

Ann

I always thought it was Dick Tracy

Writing a book is nothing, writing an article ask more talent and before all - more knowledge. I have written lot articles and earning some money with them.
The PA above mentioned - is nod bad way to get a book out to world - I have done it , three times from that publisher. After two years you have liberty edit those old manuscripts and make it better - the PA not pay money more than couple of dollars . never mind - the point is not many -it's the karaoke writing.
I know my skilful and i also know the same thing in six languages.
Cheer
harry