Quotations

"Stare. Pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long."

— Walker Evans, American photographer, born 1903

"Freedom has never been free."

— Medgar Evers, American activist, 1925

"The blood of heroes is closer to the Lord than the ink of scholars and the prayers of the pious."

— Julius Evola, Italian philosopher, born 1898

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh."

— Ezekiel 36:26

"The first rule of translation: make sure you know at least one of the bloody languages!"

— Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Pakistani poet, born 1911

"The true subject of poetry is the loss of the beloved."

— Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Pakistani poet, born 1911

"The only mountain that I would still like to climb: I'd like to break 85."

— Peter Falk, American actor, born 1927

"I didn't become an actor until I was an old man of 28 or 29. I declared to the world that I was an actor. Nobody heard me, but I did declare it."

— Peter Falk, American actor, born 1927

"There is poetry in the noticing. In allowing your mouth to hang open in the presence of everyday magic."

— Megan Falley, American spoken word poet

"Hate thrives in the presence of ignorance, and many poems are an education. Poetry is the anti-bomb, the anti-border. And, in a world where there is so much destruction, creation itself is medicine."

— Megan Falley, American spoken word poet

"If I am hungry, that is a material problem; if someone else is hungry, that is a spiritual problem."

— Paul Farmer, American humanitarian, born 1959

"I liked tap, because I liked hearing the results of my movements."

— Suzanne Farrell, American ballerina, born 1945

"When you are on stage, you don't see faces. The lights are in your eyes and you see just this black void out in front of you. And yet you know there is life out there, and you have to get your message across."

— Suzanne Farrell, American ballerina, born 1945

"Abba Lot went to seek wisdom from the renowned spiritual adviser, Abba Joseph. Abba Lot asked, “Abba, according as I am able, I keep my little rule, and my little fast, my daily prayers, meditation and contemplative silence; and according as I am able I strive to cleanse my heart of bad thoughts; and still I have not found what I seek; what more should I do?’
The elder rose up in reply and stretched out his hands to heaven, and his fingers became like ten flaming lamps. He said, “Why not be totally changed into fire?"

— Desert Fathers, Christian hermits