In a free country it is the duty of writers to pay no attention to duty. Only under a dictatorship is literature expected to exhibit an harmonious design or an inspirational tone.
E. B. White (1899–1985) American author, critic, humorist [Elwyn Brooks White]
Essay (1939-01), “One Man’s Meat,” Harper’s Magazine, Vol. 178
(Source)
On the call for writers to dutifully do those things during times of national crisis or war.
When collected in his book, One Man's Meat (1942), the essay was renamed "Salt Water Farm." Sometimes the excerpted third section of the essay is referred to as "The Duty of Writers."
Quotations about:
positivity
Note not all quotations have been tagged, so Search may find additional quotes on this topic.
Hunt out and talk about the good that is in the other fellow’s church, not the bad, and you will do away with all this religious hatred you hear so much of nowadays.
but whotthehell archy whotthehell
jamais triste archy jamais triste
that is my motto.Don Marquis (1878–1937) American journalist and humorist
archy and mehitabel, “mehitabel sees paris” (1927)
(Source)
"Jamais triste" means "never sad" in French.
POSITIVE, adj. Mistaken at the top of one’s voice.
Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914?) American writer and journalist
“Positive,” The Devil’s Dictionary (1911)
(Source)
Originally published in the "Cynic's Word Book" column in the New York American (1906-03-16) and the "Cynic's Dictionary" column in the San Francisco Examiner (1906-03-21).
Mirth is God’s medicine. Everybody ought to bathe in it. Grim care, moroseness, anxiety — all this rust of life ought to be scoured off by the oil of mirth. It is better than emery. Every man ought to rub himself with it.
