a culture is no better than its woods

At first critics classified authors as Ancients, that is to say, Greek and Latin authors, and Moderns, that is to say, every post-Classical Author. Then they classified them by eras, the Augustans, the Victorians, etc., and now they classify them by decades, the writers of the '30's, '40's, etc. Very soon, it seems, they will be labeling authors, like automobiles, by the year.

In relation to a writer, most readers believe in the Double Standard: they may be unfaithful to him as often as they like, but he must never, never be unfaithful to them.

I'll love you till the ocean Is folded and hung up to dry And the seven stars go squawking Like geese about the sky.

We would rather be ruined than changed. We would rather die in our dread than climb the cross of the moment and let our illusions die.

A poor American feels guilty at being poor, but less guilty than an American rentier who has inherited wealth but is doing nothingto increase it; what can the latter do but take to drink and psychoanalysis?

Oh, how I wish that Orwell were still alive, so that I could read his comments on contemporary events!