WIST Quotations

White, E. B. -- Essay (1939-01), “One Man’s Meat,” Harper’s Magazine, Vol. 178

Dave — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:49:46 +0000

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 "Andy" White]
Essay (1939-01), “One Man’s Meat,” Harper’s Magazine, Vol. 178

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."

Rogers, Will -- Column (1923-03-11), “Weekly Article: We Need More Fred Stones” [No. 13]

Dave — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:06:14 +0000

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.

Will Rogers (1879–1935) American humorist
Column (1923-03-11), “Weekly Article: We Need More Fred Stones” [No. 13]

Collected in The Illiterate Digest, "What We Need Is More Fred Stones" (1924),

Marquis, Don -- archy and mehitabel, “mehitabel sees paris” (1927)

Dave — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 15:17:55 +0000

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)

"Jamais triste" means "never sad" in French.

Beecher, Henry Ward -- Royal Truths (1862)

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

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.

Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887) American clergyman and orator
Royal Truths (1862)

Bierce, Ambrose -- “Positive,” The Devil’s Dictionary (1911)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 18:00:00 +0000

POSITIVE, adj. Mistaken at the top of one’s voice.

Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914?) American writer and journalist
“Positive,” The Devil’s Dictionary (1911)

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).