WIST Quotations

Rushdie, Salman -- Speech (2012-05-06), Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture, PEN World Voices Festival, New York City

Dave — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:25:47 +0000

At its most effective, the censor’s lie actually succeeds in replacing the artist’s truth. That which is censored is thought to have deserved censorship. Boat-rocking is deplored.

Salman Rushdie (b. 1947) Indian novelist
Speech (2012-05-06), Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture, PEN World Voices Festival, New York City
(Source)

Printed as an essay (2012-05-11), "On Censorship," The New Yorker magazine.

L'Engle, Madeleine -- Speech (1983-11-16), “Dare To Be Creative,” Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Dave — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:57:36 +0000

How dreary to spend your time counting dirty words, but not reading the book. And how revealing of the person who is counting. We do find what we look for.

Madeleine L'Engle (1918–2007) American writer
Speech (1983-11-16), “Dare To Be Creative,” Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
(Source)

L'Engle, Madeleine -- Speech (1983-11-16), “Dare To Be Creative,” Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Dave — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 20:36:44 +0000

We need to dare disturb the universe by not being manipulated or frightened by judgmental groups who assume the right to insist that if we do not agree with them, not only do we not understand but we are wrong. How dull the world would be if we all had to feel the same way about everything, if we all had to like the same books, dislike the same books.

Madeleine L'Engle (1918–2007) American writer
Speech (1983-11-16), “Dare To Be Creative,” Lecture, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
(Source)

Sinclair, Upton -- Money Writes!, ch. 22 “The Bookleggers” (1927)

Dave — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:53:25 +0000

Every time you get a censor, you get a fool, and worse yet a knave, pretending to be a guardian of morality, while acting as a guardian of class greed.

Upton Sinclair (1878–1968) American writer, journalist, activist, politician
Money Writes!, ch. 22 “The Bookleggers” (1927)
(Source)

Self-quoted in "Poor Me and Pure Boston," The Nation (1927-06-29)

Hitchens, Christopher -- “Be It Resolved: Freedom of Speech Includes the Freedom to Hate,” debate, University of Toronto (2006-11-15)

Dave — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 14:28:50 +0000

To whom do you award the right to decide which speech is harmful, or who is the harmful speaker? Or to determine in advance what are the harmful consequences going to be that we know enough about in advance to prevent? To whom would you give this job? To whom are you going to award the task of being the censor? Isn’t a famous old story that the man who has to read all the pornography, in order to decide what’s fit to be passed and what is fit not to be, is the man most likely to become debauched? Did you hear any speaker in the opposition to this motion, eloquent as one of them was, to whom you would delegate the task of deciding for you what you could read? To whom you would give the job of deciding for you — relieve you of the responsibility of hearing what you might have to hear? Do you know anyone? Hands up. Do you know anyone to whom you’d give this job? Does anyone have a nominee?

Christopher Hitchens (1949–2011) English intellectual, polemicist, socio-political critic
“Be It Resolved: Freedom of Speech Includes the Freedom to Hate,” debate, University of Toronto (2006-11-15)
(Source)

Video (at 9:23).

Franklin, Benjamin -- “Apology for Printers,” Philadelphia Gazette (1731-06-10)

Dave — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 01:31:49 +0000

It is as unreasonable in any one Man or Set of Men to expect to be pleas’d with every thing that is printed, as to think that nobody ought to be pleas’d but themselves.

Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) American statesman, scientist, philosopher, aphorist
“Apology for Printers,” Philadelphia Gazette (1731-06-10)
(Source)

Jones, Ernest -- “Criticisms of Psycho-Analytic Treatment,” Speech, Chicago Neurological and Chicago Medical Societies (18 Jan 1911)

Dave — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 15:56:06 +0000

It is the people with secret attractions to various temptations who busy themselves most with removing those temptations from other people; really they are defending themselves under the pretext of defending others, because at heart they fear their own weakness.

Ernest Jones (1879–1958) Welsh neurologist and psychoanalyst
“Criticisms of Psycho-Analytic Treatment,” Speech, Chicago Neurological and Chicago Medical Societies (18 Jan 1911)

Originally published in the American Journal of the Medical Sciences (Jul 1911). Reprinted in Papers on Psycho-Analysis, ch. 12 (1918).

Broun, Heywood -- “Nonsenseorship” (1922)

Dave — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 23:03:20 +0000

A censor is a man who has read about Joshua and forgotten about Canute. The censor believes that he can hold back the mighty traffic of life with a tin whistle and a raised right hand. For, after all, it is life with which he quarrels.

Heywood Broun (1888–1939) American journalist, author
“Nonsenseorship” (1922)
(Source)

Lippmann, Walter -- Men of Destiny, ch. 8 “The Nature of the Battle Over Censorship,” sec. 2 (1927)

Dave — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 23:16:51 +0000

It is not the idea as such which the censor attacks, whether it be heresy or radicalism or obscenity. He attacks the circulation of the idea among the classes which in his judgment are not to be trusted with the idea.

Walter Lippmann (1889–1974) American journalist and author
Men of Destiny, ch. 8 “The Nature of the Battle Over Censorship,” sec. 2 (1927)
(Source)

White, E. B. -- “Freedom” (Jul 1940)

Dave — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 14:38:03 +0000

I am inordinately proud these days of the quill, for it has shown itself, historically, to be the hypodermic which inoculates men and keeps the germ of freedom always in circulation, so that there are individuals in every time in every land who are the carriers, the Typhoid Mary’s, capable of infecting others by mere contact and example. These persons are feared by every tyrant — who shows his fear by burning the books and destroying the individuals.

E. B. White (1899–1985) American author, critic, humorist [Elwyn Brooks White]
“Freedom” (Jul 1940)

Russell, Bertrand -- Sceptical Essays, ch. 10 (1928)

Dave — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 12:44:00 +0000

Next to enjoying ourselves, the next greatest pleasure consists in preventing others from enjoying themselves, or, more generally, in the acquisition of power. Consequently those who live under the dominion of Puritanism become exceedingly desirous of power.

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Sceptical Essays, ch. 10 (1928)

Steele, Richard -- Essay (1709-07-14), The Tatler, No. 29

Dave — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 17:19:34 +0000

It’s a particular Observation I have always made, That of all Mortals, a Critick is the silliest; for by inuring himself to examine all Things, whether they are of Consequence or not, he never looks upon any Thing but with a Design of passing Sentence upon it; by which Means, he is never a Companion, but always a Censor. This makes him earnest upon Trifles; and dispute on the most indifferent Occasions with vehemence.

Richard Steele (1672–1729) Anglo-Irish writer, journalist, playwright, politician
Essay (1709-07-14), The Tatler, No. 29
(Source)

Russell, Bertrand -- Look, “What They Are Saying” (1954-02-23)

Dave — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:37:26 +0000

Obscenity is whatever happens to shock some elderly and ignorant magistrate.

Bertrand Russell (1872–1970) English mathematician and philosopher
Look, “What They Are Saying” (1954-02-23)
(Source)

This column was a regular feature quoting notable comments by notable people. The actual source of the quotation, presumably made around this time, is unknown.

Macaulay, Thomas Babington -- History of England, vol. 1, ch. 3 (1849)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 19:00:00 +0000

The Puritan hated bear-baiting, not because it gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators.

Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800–1859) English writer and politician
History of England, vol. 1, ch. 3 (1849)

Heine, Heinrich -- Almansor: A Tragedy, l. 245 (1823)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings.

[Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen.]

Heinrich Heine (1797–1856) German poet and critic
Almansor: A Tragedy, l. 245 (1823)

Alt trans:

"Where they burn books, at the end they also burn people."
"Where they burn books, they will also burn people."
"It is there, where they burn books, that eventually they burn people."
"Where they burn books, so too will they in the end burn human beings."
"Where they burn books, they also burn people."
"Them that begin by burning books, end by burning men."
"Wherever books are burned, sooner or later men are also burned."

Jefferson, Thomas -- Letter (1814-04-19) to Nicolas G. Dufief

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

I am really mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, a fact like this can become a subject of enquiry, and of criminal enquiry too, as an offence against religion: that a question about the sale of a book can be carried before the civil magistrate. Is this then our freedom of religion? And are we to have a Censor whose imprimatur shall say what books may be sold, and what we may buy? And who is thus to dogmatise religious opinions for our citizens? Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a Priest to be our Inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read, & what we must believe? It is an insult to our citizens to question whether they are rational beings or not; and blasphemy against religion to suppose it cannot stand the test of truth and reason. If M. de Becourt’s book be false in it’s facts, disprove them; if false in it’s reasoning, refute it. but, for god’s sake, let us freely hear both sides, if we chuse.

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) American political philosopher, polymath, statesman, US President (1801–09)
Letter (1814-04-19) to Nicolas G. Dufief
(Source)