Bel Kaufman Quotes
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In one story, he describes a man who is blind in one eye, myopic in the other, too poor to buy eyeglasses, who wears only the frames, with no lenses. When asked why he replies: “It’s better than nothing.
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He glanced at me as if he knew more than he cared to say and realized the absurdity of communication, acknowledged the introduction with a courtly bow, and continued his search for misprints.
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She hoped the examination would not take too long because she had to take Patty to her art class, shop for tonight’s dinner, and fix the hem of Patty’s new dress for her sixth birthday party next week.
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How can you wish on a turkey wishbone with a man who is capable of correcting a love letter?
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A teacher is frequently the only adult in the pupil's environment who treats him with respect.
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I don’t lose time playing verbal games, trying to remember what I forgot. “I don’t remember your name,” says one octogenarian to another. “Tell me what it is.” The second one pauses: “How soon do you have to know?” he asks.
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I am writing this during my lunch period, because I need to reach towards the outside world of sanity, because I am overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the clerical work still to be done, and because at this hour of the morning normal ladies are still sleeping.
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Many of us, her mind repeated, walking with vague symptoms, breathing fear. So many of us who, through love, have a stake in life.
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Mythology is studied in the school system because most of us come from it.
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One of my students had written wistfully of a dream-school that would have "windows with trees in them.
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Styeddy, styeddy. Boyfrriend. Boyfrriends out eleven o’clock, styeddies out twelve,” she pronounced sternly. Then, as if relieved at an unpleasant duty so neatly discharged, she added: “Rrule.” Beguiled by the momentary vision of a procession of boyfriends tiptoeing down the stairs, shoes in hand, while steadies, single-file, marched up from eleven to twelve, I said primly: “I’m interested only in my work.”
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After the prescribed length of time and number of meals consumed and digested in unison, they felt they had sufficient community of interests to marry.
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I saw a Vacancy sign in a brownstone on Lexington Avenue, rang the bell, the door swung open, and there she was: a squat, middle-aged woman with a purple velvet bow perched on her raven-dyed hair and a look of delighted astonishment on her face. She was encased in a dress of iridescent taffeta; on her feet, over her stockings, she wore tan socks and over these—high heeled patent leather pumps.
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They both looked questioningly at Mr. Rogov. He slowly removed his pince-nez, cleared his throat, and translated: “Do not in not your own sled sit.” “I get it,” Mr. Martin chuckled good-naturedly, “You mean it’s none of my business.”
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She touched his sleeve, drawing her hand away at once, as if burned by the contact, but with practiced subtlety.
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The heart has its reasons; it's the mind that's suspect.
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The Bible says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath.”
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Reading between the lines, I got the impression of dull domesticity that had settled upon them like fine dust.
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To quote a noted Jewish humorist, Sholom Aleichem: “First comes health. You can always hang yourself later."
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I so enjoy being old because for the first time I don't have to do anything-work, teach, study. I feel very good about myself-and at my age I can say no to anything now if I don't want to do it. What a liberating word.
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Love is the ultimate giving, an expression of one's best self.
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The building itself is hostile: cracked plaster, broken windows, splintered doors and carved up desks, gloomy corridors, metal stairways, dingy cafeteria (they can eat sitting down only in 20 minute shifts) and an auditorium which has no windows. It does have murals, however, depicting mute, muscular harvesters, faded and immobilized under a mustard sun. That's where we had assembly this morning.
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There is a need for closeness, yet we can't get too close. The teacher-pupil relationship is a kind of tightrope to be walked. I know how carefully I must choose a word, a gesture. I understand the delicate balance between friendliness and familiarity, dignity and aloofness. I am especially aware of this in trying to reclaim Ferone. I don't know why it's so important to me. Perhaps because he, too, is a rebel. Perhaps because he's been so damaged. He's too bright and too troubled to be lost in the shuffle.
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Best marks go to cheaters and memorizers. Marks depend on memorizing and not on real knowledge. When you cram into your head for a test you may get a high mark but forget it the next day. That's not an education. I suggest just Good and Bad at the end of the term on report cards. Or maybe nothing.