“That's all we have, finally, the words, and they had better be the right ones.”

— Raymond Carver

Last update June 3, 2021. History

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Raymond Carver 51

American short story author and poet 1938–1988

Madeleine L'Engle (1918–2007) American writer

“We can have the final word on hate, neglect, disease and all the other insidious characters that still script their way into our stories…for now, but not forever.”

Jennifer Beals (1963) American actress and a former teen model

“It’s a Wrap”, message posted on ourchart.com (16 October 2008) http://www.jennifer-beals.com/media/speeches/oc.html#wrap.

“What I have in common with the right hon. Member for Cardiff, South-East (Mr. Callaghan) is that, undeniably, our generation came into Parliament because we were determined to prevent what happened in the 1930s from occurring again and to prevent a breakdown in the social structure and the political institutions that led to the rise of authoritarianism in Europe and finally to the Second World War. That was our determination, and for 25 years, from 1950 to 1975, the people we represented had a better standard of living, bigger and better homes, better education, a better Health Service, better roads and better transport and were able to enjoy holidays such as they had not envisaged before.”

Edward Heath (1916–2005) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1970–1974)

Speech in the House of Commons (27 November 1980) http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1980/nov/27/industry-and-the-economy
Post-Prime Ministerial

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968) American clergyman, activist, and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement

1960s, Nobel Prize acceptance speech (1964)
Context: I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
Context: I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the "isness" of man's present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal "oughtness" that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality. I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

“It is better to live in a state of impermanence than in one of finality.”

Gaston Bachelard book The Poetics of Space

Source: The Poetics of Space

“And yet, in these old women it was as if, through the various tragedies of Mexican history, pity, the impulse to approach, and terror, the impulse to escape (as one had learned at college), having replaced it, had finally been reconciled by prudence, the conviction it is better to stay where you are.”

Malcolm Lowry book Under the Volcano

Source: Under the Volcano (1947), Ch. VIII (pp. 248-249)

“We were like a moth right next to the flame. It's like, do any more and you go down. We were so tired. One final lap, and then have a rest.”

Meg White (1974) American musician

Perry, Andrew (2004). "The White Stripes uncut" http://observer.guardian.co.uk/omm/story/0,,1349947,00.html ObserverGuardian.co.uk (access June 6, 2006)
On deciding to end the Elephant tour when they did

“We may have had music before we had a word for it.”

Daniel Levitin book The World in Six Songs

The World in Six Songs (2008)

“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don't know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are older and simpler and better words, and those are the ones I use.”

Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American author and journalist

On being informed that Faulkner had said that Hemingway "had never been known to use a word that might send the reader to the dictionary." Pt. 1, Ch. 4
Papa Hemingway (1966)

“All these words we use, anybody can be a genius now. It used to be you had to have a thought no one ever had before or you had to invent a number. Now, it’s like, “Hey, I’ve got a cup in case we need another cup.””

Louis C.K. (1967) American comedian and actor

“Dude, you’re a genius!
http://splitsider.com/2013/02/the-annotated-wisdom-of-louis-c-k/

“That's all we have, finally, the words, and they had better be the right ones.”

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Raymond Carver 51

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