This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Could he with reason murmur at his case, himself sole author of his own disgrace?
Oh for a closer walk with God, a calm and heavenly frame; a light to shine upon the road that leads me to the Lamb!
Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers
A Democrat never adjourns--he is born, becomes of voting age and starts right in arguing over something, and his political adjournment is his date with the undertaker.
Wilkie Collins, fully William Wilkie Collins
You are not to take it, if you please, as the saying of an ignorant man, when I express my opinion that such a book as ROBINSON CRUSOE never was written, and never will be written again. I have tried that book for years—generally in combination with a pipe of tobacco—and I have found it my friend in need in all the necessities of this mortal life. When my spirits are bad—ROBINSON CRUSOE. When I want advice—ROBINSON CRUSOE. In past times when my wife plagued me; in present times when I have had a drop too much—ROBINSON CRUSOE. I have worn out six stout ROBINSON CRUSOES with hard work in my service. On my lady's last birthday she gave me a seventh. I took a drop too much on the strength of it; and ROBINSON CRUSOE put me right again. Price four shillings and sixpence, bound in blue, with a picture into the bargain.
Will Durant, fully William James "Will" Durant
As flowing rivers disappear in the sea, losing their name and form, thus a wise man, freed from name and form, goes to the divine person who is beyond all." Such a theory of life and death will not please Western man, whose religion is as permeated with individualism as are his political and economic institutions. But it has satisfied the philosophical Hindu mind with astonishing continuity.
Will Durant, fully William James "Will" Durant
Perhaps our supercilious disgust with existence is a cover for a secret disgust with ourselves; we have botched and bungled our lives, and we cast the blame upon the environment or the world, which have no tongues to utter a defense. The mature man accepts the natural limitations of life; he does not expect Providence to be prejudiced in his favor; he does not ask for loaded dice to play the game of life. He knows, with Carlyle, that there is no sense in vilifying the sun because it will not light our cigars. And perhaps, if we are clever enough to help it, the sun will even do that; and this vast neutral cosmos may turn out to be a pleasant place enough if we bring a little sunshine of our own to help it out. In truth, the world is neither with us or against us; it is but raw material in our hands, and can be heaven or hell according to what we are.
Arrogance | Gentleness | Love | Quiet | Teach | Understanding | Will |
Wilkie Collins, fully William Wilkie Collins
If the public only knew that every writer worthy of the name is the severest critic of his own book before it ever gets into the hands of the reviewers, how surprised they would be!
Conspiracy | Quiet | Vengeance |
Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers
Say, this new home building idea of (President) Hoover's sounds good. They are working out a lot of beneficial things. The only thing is it took 'em so long (2 years) to think of any of 'em. We ought to have plans in case of depression, just like we do in case of fire, 'Walk, don't run, to the nearest exit.'
Reading |
Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers
Polo, racing and horse shows all are doing great work to help the farmer and rancher to raise better horses.
Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers
If you live life right, death is a joke as far as fear is concerned.
Death | Good | Government | People | Time | Will | Government | Crisis | Old |
Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers
In schools they have what they call intelligence tests. Well if nations held ’em I don’t believe we would be what you would call a favorite to win it.
Willa Cather, fully Willa Sibert Cather
Alexandra sighed. I have a feeling that if you go away, you will not come back. Something will happen to one of us, or to both. People have to snatch at happiness when they can, in this world. It is always easier to lose than to find. What I have is yours if you care enough about me to take it.
Boys | Consciousness | Future | Heart | Law | Little | Sense | Thought | Think | Thought |
Willa Cather, fully Willa Sibert Cather
Men are all right for friends, but as soon as you marry them they turn into cranky old fathers, even the wild ones. They begin to tell you what's sensible and what's foolish, and want you to stick at home all the time. I prefer to be foolish when I feel like it, and be accountable to nobody.
Art | Desire | Heart | Life | Life | Office | Passion | Quiet | Work | Art | Old |
Will Rogers, fully William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers
Well, all I know is just what I read in the papers. And say I had to read plenty in the paper the other day. There is a paper got out in Detroit, Michigan. It's called the Legal Record. It says it's a paper dedicated to the interests of the legal profession. That dedication that's printed on its front page in big type shows that it's a paper that has nothing to do with news or facts, and I like the honesty of it. It tells you right off we take nothing but the lawyer's side. (For there ain't any other side.) Well the headline as follows to wit, habus corpus, nolle prose, change of venue as follows: The legal profession as a humorist sees it.
Angels |
Willa Cather, fully Willa Sibert Cather
If you love the good thing vitally, enough to give up for it all that one must give up, then you must hate the cheap thing just as hard. I tell you, there is such a thing as creative hate! A contempt that drives you through fire, makes you risk everything and lose everything, makes you a long sight better than you ever knew you could be.
All of us must act selfishly to Iearn charity, must lie to learn honor, must betray and be betrayed to learn to value trust and commitment.
Office | Quiet | Companionship |
Wernher von Braun, fully Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun
Crash programs fail because they are based on the theory that, with nine women pregnant, you can get a baby a month.
Reality |
Willa Cather, fully Willa Sibert Cather
To be sure, the Bishop was a little theatrical in his humility, as he had been in his grandeur; but that was his way, Auclair reflected, and, after all, nobody can help his way. If a man admits his mistakes, that is a great deal...
Experience | Feelings | Fortune | Little | Sense |