It's harder to make me laugh than it is to make me cry.

Buck Henry

from the book And Here's The Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers On Their Craft by Mike Sacks

"I did have the one element necessary to all early creativity: naïveté, that fabulous quality that keeps you from knowing just how unsuited you are for what you are about to do."

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
Steve Martin

"The labours of men of genius, however erroneousy directed, scarcely ever fail in ultimately turning to the solid advantage of mankind."

Frankenstein

"Chasing an errant swarm of bees is nothing to following a naked lunatic when the fit of escaping is upon him!"

Dracula
Bram Stoker

In a sudden flash of illumination Charles saw the right purpose of Christianity; it was not to celebrate this barbarous image, not to maintain it on high because there was a useful profit-the redemption of sins-to be derived from so doing, but to bring about a world in which the hanging man could be descended, could be seen not with the rictus of ( Read more... )

"Understanding never grew from violation."

The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

"Everyone has something good about them," she said. You have to find the redeeming quality and love the person for that."
"Oh yeah?" I said. "How about Hitler? What was his redeeming quality?"
"Hitler loved dogs," Mom said without hesitation.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The supreme good is like water ( Read more... )

Putting a value on status ( Read more... )

Right now, and in every now-moment, you are either closing or opening ( Read more... )