Grandmother pointed out my brother Perry, my sister Sarah, and my sister Eliza, who stood in the group. I had never seen my brother nor my sisters before; and, though I had sometimes heard of them, and felt a curious interest in them, I really did no...
In his entire output, I can find only one piece of genuine unfairness: a thuggish attack on the poetry of WH Auden, whom he regarded as a dupe of the Communist Party. But even this was softened in some later essays. The truth is that he disliked Aude...
Their bodies lay flatly on the rocks, and their eyes regarded him with evil interest: but it does not appear that Mr. Fison was afraid, or that he realized that he was in any danger. Possibly his confidence is to be ascribed to the limpness of their ...
The Perfect Person's Rule of Life: The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward. The perfect person does good through love. His action...
I started studying law, but this I could stand just for one semester. I couldn't stand more. Then I studied languages and literature for two years. After two years I passed an examination with the result I have a teaching certificate for Latin and Hu...
I really love folklore. I had read a lot of faerie folklore that informed the books I wrote. I also really love vampire folklore; my eighth grade research paper was on [it]. [With this project,] it was really helpful to think about the way you can us...
People say I talk slowly. I talk in a way sometimes called laconic. The phone rings, I answer, and people ask if they’ve woken me up. I lose my way in the middle of sentences, leaving people hanging for minutes. I have no control over it. I’ll be...
Last Saturday night I was in a club on the South Side of Chicago listening to live rock music and talking to a guitar playing veteran of the music scene in the city. He looked and talked like the musicians that I recall from my childhood; he was a th...
Prison Chaplain: Choice! The boy has not a real choice, has he? Self-interest, the fear of physical pain drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. The insincerity was clear to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a crea...
Commodore Jensen: Gentlemen, these men have a special interest in Navarone. I got your radio report, but I thought perhaps you could be more specific. Squadron Leader Howard Barnsby RAAF: I'll be specific! As you can plainly see, it was ruddy awful. ...
Dumbledore: Hogwarts, let's entertain our friends in the best way we can, all stand! [the entire student body stands up as one] Dumbledore: Maestro, if you will! [Professor Flitwick and Dumbledore both begin conducting the students as they sing the s...
Ellie Andrews: Your ego is absolutely colossal. Peter Warne: Yeah, yeah, not bad, how's yours? [Shuts and locks the door] Ellie Andrews: You know, compared to you, my friend Shapeley's an amateur. Just whatever gave you any idea I'd stand for this? P...
Jackson Bentley: [on his interest in Lawrence and the Arab Revolt] I'm looking for a hero. Prince Feisal: Indeed, you do not seem a romantic man. Jackson Bentley: Oh, no! But certain influential men back home believe the time has come for America to ...
Dr. Yen Lo: Attractive plant you have here. Zilkov: Thank you, doctor. It's actually a rest home for wealthy alcoholics. We were able to purchase it three years ago. Except for this floor and the floor above it, which is sealed off for security purpo...
Alicia: [in bed, hung-over] I'm no stool-pigeon, Mr. Devlin. Devlin: My department authorized me to engage you to do some work for us. There's a job in Brazil... Alicia: Oh, go away. The whole thing bores me. Devlin: Some of the German gentry who are...
Lt. Nyota Uhura: [catches Kirk hiding under her roommate's bed] You! James T. Kirk: [scheduled to take the Kobayashi Maru test the next day] Big day tomorrow. Lt. Nyota Uhura: [throws his clothes at him] You're gonna fail. James T. Kirk: Gaila, see y...
Clarence Worley: It's nice to meet people with common interests, ain't it? Well, enough about the King, how 'bout... how 'bout you? Lucy: How 'bout me what? Clarence Worley: How 'bout you go to the movies with me tonight? Lucy: What are we gonna see?...
Seth Abrahams: [high on coke] We act like we have all the answers and we're totally invincible, like our parents seem and their parents before them, and I'm sorry, that I have to be the one to say this, but it's fucking bullshit. For instance I know ...
Real Toby: So, how do you cope with loneliness, Harvey? Real Harvey: Uh, did I say I watch television? Real Toby: Yeah. You mentioned you watch TV, you listen to your jazz records, you read, you write. You do your stick figures so you could plan for ...
Christy Cummings: It's interesting, we have kind of a family dynamic going on here which pretty much mirrors what I grew up with: I'm the mommy slash daddy, the taskmaster, the disciplinarian. Sherri Ann Cabot: Mr. Punishment over here. Christy Cummi...
But in the meantime, as a temporary measure, I hold what I call the doctrine of the jig-saw puzzle. That is: this remarkable occurrence, and that, and the other may be, and usually are, of no significance. Coincidence and chance and unsearchable caus...
