
“The tragedy of old age, when a man’s too weak to hit his own child.”
Bad News, Chapter 12
Tragedy and the Common Man (1949)
Context: In this age few tragedies are written. It has often been held that the lack is due to a paucity of heroes among us, or else that modern man has had the blood drawn out of his organs of belief by the skepticism of science, and the heroic attack on life cannot feed on an attitude of reserve and circumspection. For one reason or another, we are often held to be below tragedy — or tragedy above us.
“The tragedy of old age, when a man’s too weak to hit his own child.”
Bad News, Chapter 12
“The number one book of the ages was written by a committee, and it was called The Bible.”
To a writer who complained that his work was being changed.
Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies (2001 ed)
“The reason why so few good books are written is, that so few people that can write know anything.”
Shakespeare
Literary Studies (1879)
Context: The reason why so few good books are written is, that so few people that can write know anything. In general an author has always lived in a room, has read books, has cultivated science, is acquainted with the style and sentiments of the best authors, but he is out of the way of employing his own eyes and ears. He has nothing to hear and nothing to see. His life is a vacuum.
“Looking Backward was written in the belief that the Golden Age lies before us and not behind us.”
Author's postscript.
Looking Backward, 2000-1887 http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext96/lkbak10.txt (1888)
On her role in the film Things We Lost In The Fire — Western Mail staff (February 1, 2008) "From the grave to the cradle", Western Mail.
“Women are the right age for just a few years; men, for most of their lives.”
The Complete Neurotic's Notebook (1981), Women & men
“Few of them made it to thirty.
Old age was the privilege of rocks and trees.”
"Our Ancestors' Short Lives"
Poems New and Collected (1998), The People on the Bridge (1986)
Context: Few of them made it to thirty.
Old age was the privilege of rocks and trees.
Childhood ended as fast as wolf cubs grow.
One had to hurry, to get on with life
before the sun went down,
before the first snow.
(1993), Epilogue, p. 155
The First Three Minutes (1977; second edition 1993)