This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Voice of one, voice of none.
Belief | Distinguish | Ethics | God | Human nature | Inevitable | Life | Life | Morality | Nature | Need | Philosophy | Reason | Will | Wrong | God |
J. B. Priestly, fully John Boynton Priestly
Nearly everything possible has been done to spoil this game: the heavy financial interests... the absurd publicity given to every feature of it by the Press... but the fact remains that it is not yet spoilt, and it has gone out and conquered the world.
Compassion | Effort | God | History | Hope | Little | Need | People | Policy | Religion | Right | Will | God |
J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Don't ever laugh at live Dragons, Bilbo you fool!
Change | Reason | Relationship |
J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Criticism - however valid or intellectually engaging - tends to get in the way of a writer who has anything personal to say. A tightrope walker may require practice, but if he starts a theory of equilibrium he will lose grace (and probably fall off).
Focus | Knowledge | Mind | Reason | Research | Unique | Work | Following |
J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Being a cult figure in one's own lifetime I am afraid is not at all pleasant. However I do not find that it tends to puff one up: in my case at any rate it makes me feel extremely small and inadequate. But even the nose of a very modest idol cannot remain entirely untickled by the sweet smell of incense.
J. B. S. Haldane, fully John Burdon Sanderson Haldane
Life implies constant activity, and the vital principle was accordingly regarded as something essentially active, constantly controlling and therefore interfering with physical tendencies towards disintegration of organic structure, and building up new organic structure in the process of nutrition and reproduction.
J. B. S. Haldane, fully John Burdon Sanderson Haldane
The time has gone by when a Huxley could believe that while science might indeed remold traditional mythology, traditional morals were impregnable and sacrosanct to it. We must learn not to take traditional morals too seriously. And it is just because even the least dogmatic of religions tends to associate itself with some kind of unalterable moral tradition, that there can be no truce between science and religion.
Father | Little | Understand |
J. B. S. Haldane, fully John Burdon Sanderson Haldane
My own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we *can* suppose.
Death |
J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Aragorn threw back his cloak. The elven-sheath glittered as he grasped it, and the bright blade of And£ril shone like a sudden flame as he swept it out. 'Elendil!' he cried. 'I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, D£nadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor. Here is the Sword that was Broken and is forged again! Will you aid me or thwart me? Choose swiftly!
Control | Enough | Improvement | Labor | Money | People | Reason | Responsibility | Slavery | Child | Think |
J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
I should say that, in addition to my tree-love (it was originally called The Tree), it arose from my own pre-occupation with the Lord of the Rings, the knowledge that it would be finished in great detail or not at all, and the fear (near certainty) that it would be 'not at all'. The war had arisen to darken all horizons. But no such analyses are a complete explanation even of a short story...
Gentleness | Good | Need | Religion | Story | Will | Understand |
J. R. R. Tolkien, fully John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
I know I don't look old, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart... I need a holiday. A very long holiday. And I don't expect I shall return.