The Quotes canon

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America3 quotes
Without the cold war, what's the point of being an American? — John Updike · 1990America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy. — John Updike · 1972Some sense of religious mission is part of being American. — John Updike · 1996
Some sense of religious mission is part of being American. — John Updike · 1996
Art1 quote
The artist brings something into the world that didn't exist before, and... He does it without destroying something else. — John Updike · 1977
Artists1 quote
The artist brings something into the world that didn't exist before, and... He does it without destroying something else. — John Updike · 1977
Athletes1 quote
Our noise for some seconds passed beyond excitement into a kind of immense open anguish, a wailing, a cry to be saved. But immortality is nontransferable. The papers said that the others players, and even the umpires on the field, begged him to come out and acknowledge us in some way, but he refused. Gods do not answer letters. — John Updike · 1960
Cold War1 quote
Without the cold war, what's the point of being an American? — John Updike · 1990
Comedy1 quote
Is not the decisive difference between comedy and tragedy that tragedy denies us another chance? — John Updike · 1989
Creation1 quote
The artist brings something into the world that didn't exist before, and... He does it without destroying something else. — John Updike · 1977
Creativity1 quote
A great deal of my poetry has been written while I have been out walking. — Wallace Stevens · 1954
Critics1 quote
Writing criticism is to writing fiction and poetry as hugging the shore is to sailing in the open sea. — John Updike · 1983
Dreams1 quote
Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them. — John Updike · 1989
England1 quote
A soggy little island huffing and puffing to keep up with Western Europe. — John Updike · 1969
A soggy little island huffing and puffing to keep up with Western Europe. — John Updike · 1969
Heroes1 quote
Our noise for some seconds passed beyond excitement into a kind of immense open anguish, a wailing, a cry to be saved. But immortality is nontransferable. The papers said that the others players, and even the umpires on the field, begged him to come out and acknowledge us in some way, but he refused. Gods do not answer letters. — John Updike · 1960
That's one of my Goddam precious American rights, not to think about politics. — John Updike · 1971
Infidelity1 quote
The first breath of adultery is the freest; after it, constraints aping marriage develop. — John Updike · 1968
The artist brings something into the world that didn't exist before, and... He does it without destroying something else. — John Updike · 1977
Style1 quote
Style is not something applied. It is something inherent, something that permeates. — Wallace Stevens · 1951
Tragedy1 quote
Is not the decisive difference between comedy and tragedy that tragedy denies us another chance? — John Updike · 1989
Walking1 quote
A great deal of my poetry has been written while I have been out walking. — Wallace Stevens · 1954
A great deal of my poetry has been written while I have been out walking. — Wallace Stevens · 1954
War1 quote
To say that war is madness is like saying that sex is madness: true enough, from the standpoint of a stateless eunuch, but merely a provocative epigram for those who must make their arrangements in the world as given. — John Updike · 1989