Quotations

"Why did the world go on being so beautiful in spite of the ugliness he had experienced? The lake was beautiful, serenely beautiful. The forest was beautiful, greenly beautiful. Lake and forest, the whole shimmering world was painfully beautiful. He loved this world, but he was too hurt to enjoy it."

— William Steig, American illustrator, born 1907

"Later she sat on the ground in the forest between school and home, and spring was so bright and beautiful, the warm air touched her so tenderly, she could almost feel herself changing into a flower. Her light dress felt like petals. 'I love everything," she heard herself say.'So do I,' a voice answered. Pearl straightened up and looked around. No one was there."

— William Steig, American illustrator, born 1907

"The most important thing is to be whatever you are without shame."

— Rod Steiger, American actor, born 1925

"When you're depressed, there's no calendar. There are no dates, there's no day, there's no night, there's no seconds, there's no minutes, there's nothing. You're just existing in this cold, murky, ever-heavy atmosphere, like they put you inside a vial of mercury."

— Rod Steiger, American actor, born 1925

"Man is a greater miracle than any god ever invented."

— Rod Steiger, American actor, born 1925

"We come. We go. And in-between we try to understand."

— Rod Steiger, American actor, born 1925

"For the Christian, there is no such thing as a stranger. There are only neighbors."

— Edith Stein, Carmelite nun, born October 12, 1891

"I had given up practicing my Jewish religion when I was a 14-year-old girl and did not begin to feel Jewish again until I had returned to God."

— Edith Stein, Carmelite nun, born 1891

"Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love. And do not accept anything as love which lacks truth!"

— Edith Stein, Carmelite nun, died August 9, 1942

"Usually one gets a heavier cross when one attempts to get rid of an old one."

— Edith Stein, Carmelite nun, born October 12, 1891

"Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something."

— Gertrude Stein, American poet, born February 3, 1874

"The thing that differentiates man from animals is money."

— Gertrude Stein, American author, died July 27, 1946

"Unless a reviewer has the courage to give you unqualified praise, I say ignore the bastard."

— John Steinbeck, American author, born 1902

"Muscles aching to work, minds aching to create - this is man."

— John Steinbeck, American author, born 1902