The Lousypoet

“‘Tis not the dying for a faith that’s so hard, Master Harry–every man of every nation has done that–’tis the living up to it that is difficult . . . ”

- from The History of Henry Esmond by William Makepeace Thackeray

It is not true that suffering ennobles the character; happiness does that sometimes, but suffering, for the most part, makes men petty and vindictive.

- from The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham

“The test of a man or woman’s breeding is how they behave in a quarrel. Anybody can behave well when things are going smoothly.”

- from The Philanderer by George Bernard Shaw

No man knows till he has suffered from the night how sweet and dear to his heart and eye the morning can be.

- Bram Stoker from Dracula

So complex is the human spirit that it can itself scarce discern the deep springs which impel it to action.

- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
from The White Company

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

- Maya Angelou

The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.

- Neil Gaiman

When authors who write literary fiction begin to write screenplays, everybody assumes that’s the end. Here’s another who’s never going to write well again.

- Richard Russo

“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought”

- Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

A literary journal is intended to connect writer with reader; the role of the editor is to mediate.

- John Barton