Some Quotes for January 2024 (#21)
John Gall, Merrill Flood, Caresse Crosby, Richard Hugo, Robert Scholes, Daniel Yankelovich, Bill Chappell, Marilynne Robinson, Yehuda Amichai
Link = source I've actually read/endorse. No link = random, out-of-context snippet I was able to track down on the internet. (Some of these are advice—others I just enjoy the language or sentiment.)
From Systemantics: The Systems Bible: Destiny is largely a set of unquestioned assumptions. –John Gall
After the dance, the drum is heavy. –Haitian proverb
I firmly believe that the important things about humans are social in character and that relief by machines from many of our present demanding intellectual functions will finally give the human race time and incentive to learn how to live well together. –Merrill Flood
Most people die of a sort of creeping common sense and discover when it’s too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes. –Caresse Crosby
From “Richard Hugo on Starting a Poem”: The poet’s relation to the triggering subject should never be as strong as (must be weaker than) his relation to his words. The words should not serve the subject. The subject should serve the words. This may mean violating the facts. For example, if the poem needs the word “black” at some point and the grain elevator is yellow, the grain elevator may have to be black in the poem. You owe reality nothing and the truth about your feelings everything. –Richard Hugo
Quality of mind, not plot, is the soul of narrative. –Robert Scholes
The first step is to measure whatever can easily be measured. That’s OK as far as it goes. The second step is to pretend that whatever cannot easily be measured isn’t very important. That’s dangerous. The third step is to pretend that whatever cannot easily be measured doesn’t exist. That’s suicide. –Daniel Yankelovich
If everyone is driving you crazy, then the feeling is probably mutual. –Bill Chappell
From Gilead: Any human face is a claim on you, because you can’t help but understand the singularity of it, the courage and loneliness of it. –Marilynne Robinson
From “Eyes”: God’s in the eye business and the fruit business / I’m in the worry business. –Yehuda Amichai