E. L. Doctorow Quotes
History is the present. That's why every generation writes it anew. But what most people think of as history is its end product, myth.
Quotes to Explore
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Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.
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I took my acting very seriously. I did over 40 films, and naturally, some of them were called B-movies because the woman was at the top of the billing. Women couldn't star in their own movies.
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Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.
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On stage, I like to dress up a bit. I'm not scared to be like a character up there.
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I think what 'The Monster' means to me is I find it really hard - like a lot of other people in the world - to really be OK in my own skin. It was a message to myself saying, 'It's OK that you're not perfect.' I'm gonna learn to love myself and accept myself, even though I'm a little crazy.
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When civilization takes a nose dive, how can you look away? You've got to be there. You've got to be at the bottom of the swimming pool taking notes.
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When I hear someone, instantaneously, I'm like, 'Who's singing?' You're giving people so much of yourself, and my voice is the most natural, distinctive tool I have. It's up to me to express myself on a wider scale than just writing vocal melodies and lyrics.
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When I started making movies, I was pretty young, and at the time I felt like there needed to be more confrontation in cinema - or I needed to make something more disruptive - so in the beginning, those movies were me wanting to play with the rules.
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My mom says that when I was a little kid, I always used to say I wanted to be an actor, but I don't remember that.
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Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; nay, you may kick it about all day like a football, and it will be round and full at evening.
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We tend in this country to talk about Democrats and Republicans, and think there's little group over there called Independents that's maybe 2%. That is not the case, and it has not been the case for most of modern American history.
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My great-grandchildren will not be able to enjoy the Gulf Coast of Louisiana the way I have.
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I'm not a babysitter.
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If you be faithful, you will have that honor that comes from God: his Spirit will say in your hearts, Well done, good and faithful servants.
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My father was an accountant and his father was a typographer.
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Every man I meet is in some way my superior.
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The Wood was about young people and the other one is more of a grown up movie.
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I'm probably proudest of being able to lift a lot of us out of the 'hood. That's the biggest thing, that I've been able to employ a lot of people and give them opportunities.
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Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people's business.
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Arizona is a national leader in school choice with both charter schools and tuition tax credits giving parents and their children more school choices than ever before.
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You can't have virtue without sin. What I'm after is having my characters' virtues defined by how they operate in a very sinful environment. That's how you test people.
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As soon as you become afraid to make a fool of yourself, you're in trouble. I decided I may as well just see if I can live with myself making millions of mistakes and learn something from it.
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History is the present. That's why every generation writes it anew. But what most people think of as history is its end product, myth.
