black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

I don’t believe the writer should know too much where he’s going. If he does, he runs into old man blueprintold man propaganda.

James Thurber

The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms -hollow, heartless, mirthless, maniacal.
JAMES THURBER

Heartless Laughter Man Tears Terrible
I write humor the way a surgeon operates, because it is a livelihood, because I have a great urge to do it, because many interesting challenges are set up, and because I have the hope it may do some good.
JAMES THURBER

Goodness Hope Humor Interest Operate Surgeon Writing
A false or misunderstood word may create as much disaster as a sudden thoughtless act.
JAMES THURBER

Act Creation Fake Misunderstanding Thinking
But what is all this fear of and opposition to Oblivion? What is the matter with the soft Darkness, the Dreamless Sleep?
JAMES THURBER

Darkness Dreams Fear Sleep
Humor and pathos, tears and laughter are, in the highest expression of human character and achievement, inseparable.
JAMES THURBER

Achievement Character Expression Humor Laughter Separate
Humourists lead… an existence of jumpiness and apprehension. They sit on the edge of the chair of Literature. In the house of Life they have the feeling that they have never taken off their overcoats.
JAMES THURBER

Edge Existence Literature
A pinch of probability is worth a pound of perhaps.
JAMES THURBER

Probability Thinking Worth
There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else.
JAMES THURBER

Mathematics Safety
Comedy has ceased to be a challenge to the mental processes. It has become a therapy of relaxation, a kind of tranquilizing drug.
JAMES THURBER

Challenge Comedy Drugs Therapy
Don’t get it right, just get it written.
JAMES THURBER

Right Writing
Let the meek inherit the earth — they have it coming to them.
JAMES THURBER

Come Earth Inheritance Weakness
When all things are equal, translucence in writing is more effective than transparency, just as glow is more revealing than glare.
JAMES THURBER

Effective Equality Reveal Writing
All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.
JAMES THURBER

Death Learning Man Strive Wisdom
Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.
JAMES THURBER

Angry Awareness Fear Future Past
A burden in the bush is worth two on your hands.
JAMES THURBER

Burden Hands Worth
History is replete with proofs, from Cato the Elder to Kennedy the Younger, that if you scratch a statesman you find an actor, but it is becoming harder and harder, in our time, to tell government from show business.
JAMES THURBER

Business Evidence Government History Ourselves Time

I don’t believe the writer should know too much where he’s going. If he does, he runs into old man blueprintold man propaganda.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

I don’t believe the writer should know too much where he’s going. If he does, he runs into old man blueprintold man propaganda.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More James Thurber Quotes

I don’t believe the writer should know too much where he’s going. If he does, he runs into old man blueprintold man propaganda.