Brookner, Heger, Pamuck, Rice: Random Pithy Thoughts

Aphorism 109: "Know it by its absence!" Ann Rice

Full Quote: "In my book, the one thing he will not know is the intimacy of marriage. He said, 'I will know it by its absence.'" as quoted in the Times Picayune march 5, 2008 by Susan Larson in her review of "Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana."

Aphorism 108: "Give everything you can, but first learn to take!" Anita Brookner, The Debut

Full Quote: "'I will give you everything I can,' he said, reaching for hand and meeting her wide eyes. 'But first you must learn to take.'"

Aphorism 107: "Provide a counterpoint!" Susan Heger

Full Quote: "The sharp formal lines of the pond connect the house to its grounds and provide a counter point to the scattered stepping-stone path." from the Times-Picayune Living, May 2007, "Getting back to green."

Aphorism 106: "Take pleasure in observation!" Orham Pamuk

Full Quote: "His face was illuminated not by the nearby candle, but by the pleasure of observations itself." Chapter One, My Name is Red.

Sports Aphorisms Part One

Aphorism 105: "Playing hurt is a matter of pride, responsibility and loyalty!" Unnamed New Orleans Saints football player as quoted by Darrell Williams of Times-Picayune.

Aphorism 104: "Go out and play hard baseball!" Tony Pena, while serving as Manager of Kansas City Royals

Full Quote: "..he vows the team will play aggressively. 'I believe you go out and play hard baseball.' he says." As quoted by Peter Barrouguere, Times Picayune, May 16, 2002.

Aphorism 103: "Consider Portaging An Opportunity!" by Jerry Dennis, From a Wooden Canoe.

Full Quote: "The indefatigable Siqurd Olson...considered portaging an opportunity, to hear sounds that are lost on the water, see things that until then had been hidden." p. 25

Aphorism 102: "Be a Good Finisher!" by Brian Doyle

Full Quote: " I firmly believe life is not how you start, it's how you finish. I want to be a good finisher." as quoted by Bill Syken of Sport Illustrated, April 28, 2003, p 10. Doyle was a hero of the 1978 World Series.

Jodi Picoult, Mercy

Aphorism 101: “No laird would expect his clan to do what he himself would not!” Chapter 3

Full Quote: “It was a technicality; any oath he’d made would naturally imply he’d be fighting alongside, since no laird would expect his clan to do what he himself would not.”

Aphorism 100: “Hope that heaven resembles Scotland!” Chapter 3

Full Quote: “He wondered what God was like. He hoped that heaven resembled Scotland.”

Aphorism 99: “The sad are victims of collective memory!” Chapter 3

Full Quote: “..he was really a victim of collective memory.”

Aphorism 98: “Duty is duty, a laird is a laird, and you cannot doubt your own blood!” Chapter 3

Full Quote: “’Duty is duty,’ Angus had said, ‘and a laird is a laird. And be there a clan or no’, lad, ye canna doubt your own blood.”

Aphorism 97: “Carrymuir had never been taken by Campbells or English or anyone else, was now overrun with tourists!” Chapter 3

Aphorism 96: “It is not possible to define freedom to someone who does not realize they are caged.” Chapter 4

Full Quote: “You simply could not define freedom to someone who did not realize they were caged.”

Door Slogans Part Four

Note: The habit of finding pithy sayings and posting them on office door was the beginning of my hobby of creating aphorisms from significant literature and other places.

Aphorism 95: “Emphasize Activism, Restrict Criticism!” by Robert K. Greenleaf

Full Quote: “With education that is preponderantly abstract and analytical it is no wonder that there is a preoccupation with criticism and that not much thought is given to ‘What can I do about it?’” 1995, “the Leaders Companion”, p. 21

Aphorism 94: “I’m Off Chicken!” Bill Tonnesen, artist

Comment: I’m off chicken is the name of Bill Tonnesen’s opening reception during his 2002 art show in Phoenix, AZ as read from the magazine Booksense, p. 44

Aphorism 93: “There is Nothing More Informative Than Taking A Walk Around the Block!” late Peter Jennings, ABC News anchor.

Comment: This comment was presented to a group of New Orleans Business leaders and university professors

Aphorism 92: “Expect to play important minutes!” Michael Jordan, NBA basketball star

Comment: The sports editor of the New Orleans Times Picayune stated: “Michael Jordan says he expects ‘play important minutes’ this season for the Washington Wizards.” Oct. 1, 2002.

Aphorism 91: “Go Full throttle!” Sonny Barger

Comment: As quoted by the Times Picayune, July, 25, 2000, “The philosophy of life of Sonny Barger, the [then] 61 year old leader of hell’s Angels.”

Anita Brookner, The Misalliance

Aphorism 90: “Free will is a terrible burden!”

Full Quote: “That is they may want it theoretically, but free will, I find, is a terrible burden.” Chapter One

Aphorism 89: “The happy climates are reserved for those with the determination to seek them!”

Full Quote: “..she was statistically sure that somewhere there was heat, there was sunshine, and radiance, and that this happy climate was reserved for those who had the determination to seek it.” Chapter Two

Aphorism 88: “Be prepared to pay for your own entertainment!”

Full Quote: “And I did want to know. And now I do. And must probably be prepared to pay for my entertainment.” Chapter 4

Aphorism 87: “Well worn phrases please by their handiness!”

Full Quote: “..she had become even less communicative than before, using well-worn phrases that apparently pleased her by their handiness..” Chapter Five

Edith Wharton and Cynthia Griffin Wolff, Ethan Frome

Aphorism 86: “Cold is the absence of passion!” Cynthia Griffin Wolff’s Signet Classic Edition introduction.

Full Quote: “There is cold, the absence of passion. There is starvation, the desperate need for affection.”

Aphorism 85: “The hypnotizing effect of routine!”

Full Quote: “I chafed at first, and then, under the hypnotizing effect of routine, gradually began to find a grim satisfaction in the life.” Wharton, Prologue

Aphorism 84: “There is nothing unfriendly in silence!”

Full Quote: “..there was warm and sentient in him fast bound below the surface; but there was nothing unfriendly in his silence.” Wharton, Prologue

Aphorism 83: “Why don’t you say something? Because I am listening.”

Full Quote: “Sometimes, in the long winter evenings, when in desperation her son asked her why she didn’t ‘say something,’ she would lift and finger and answer: ‘Because I’m listening.’” Wharton Chapter 4

Door Slogans Three

Aphorism 82: “Browsers Welcome!”

Full Quote: “It didn't have a name - just a banner strung across the front, saying in large letters, BROWSERS WELCOME.” From June W. Siegel’s e-mail to Jan Weber, Moderator of the Trollope@Yahoogroup.com

Aphorism 81: “Look for Surprises!”

Full Quote: “People aren’t looking for any more surprises.” Bill Keller, editor of New York Times as quoted by Matthew Rose, The Wall Street Journal, Tuesday July 15, 2003

Aphorism 80: “It’s being on the court!” Chris Evert, professional tennis player.

Aphorism 79: “Catch fire and carry the rest of us forward!” Rick Livingston, Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities