On Writing, Literature, Poetry,
and Journalism
Unprovided with original learning, unformed in the habits of thinking, unskilled in the arts
of composition, I resolved - to write a book.
—Edward Gibbon, 1796
After being Turned Down by numerous Publishers, he had decided to write for Posterity.
—George Ade, 1900
Nature seems to have provided that the follies of men should be transient, but they by
writing books render them permanent.
—Montesquieu, 1721
The only thing I was fit for was to be a writer, and this notion rested solely on my suspicion
that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn’t require any.
—Russell Baker, 1983
It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up
because by that time I was too famous.
—Robert Benchley, 1955
Reading stories is bad enough but writing them is worse.
—L. M. Montgomery, 1908
I can’t understand why a person will take a year to write a novel when he can easily buy
one for a few dollars.
—Fred Allen
1
When I want to read a book, I write one.
—Benjamin Disraeli, 1868
2
All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things.
—Bobby Knight, 1986
1
As quoted, without a date, in several reputable sources, starting not later than in 1996.
2
This famous maxim is actually a twist of a much earlier (circa 1824) line by Washington Irving.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Likharev (ed.), Essential Quotes for Scientists and Engineers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63332-5_12
101
and Journalism
Unprovided with original learning, unformed in the habits of thinking, unskilled in the arts
of composition, I resolved - to write a book.
—Edward Gibbon, 1796
After being Turned Down by numerous Publishers, he had decided to write for Posterity.
—George Ade, 1900
Nature seems to have provided that the follies of men should be transient, but they by
writing books render them permanent.
—Montesquieu, 1721
The only thing I was fit for was to be a writer, and this notion rested solely on my suspicion
that I would never be fit for real work, and that writing didn’t require any.
—Russell Baker, 1983
It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up
because by that time I was too famous.
—Robert Benchley, 1955
Reading stories is bad enough but writing them is worse.
—L. M. Montgomery, 1908
I can’t understand why a person will take a year to write a novel when he can easily buy
one for a few dollars.
—Fred Allen
1
When I want to read a book, I write one.
—Benjamin Disraeli, 1868
2
All of us learn to write in the second grade. Most of us go on to greater things.
—Bobby Knight, 1986
1
As quoted, without a date, in several reputable sources, starting not later than in 1996.
2
This famous maxim is actually a twist of a much earlier (circa 1824) line by Washington Irving.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
K. K. Likharev (ed.), Essential Quotes for Scientists and Engineers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63332-5_12
101