I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters.
James A. MichenerRead
Public libraries have been a mainstay of my life. They represent an individual's right to acquire knowledge; they are the sinews that bind civilized societies the world over. Without libraries, I would be a pauper, intellectually and spiritually.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Public libraries are essential for individual knowledge and societal development.
James A. Michener emphasizes the crucial role that public libraries play in providing individuals with access to knowledge and learning. He argues that libraries are fundamental to the cohesion and advancement of civilized societies, and without them, one's intellectual and spiritual growth would be severely impoverished.
Themes
LibrariesKnowledgeEducationSocietyIntellectualSpiritual
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on the importance of education, one might quote Michener's reflection on libraries.
More from James A. Michener
All quotes →Whenever I start a book, I swear it's going to be a short one. But then it's, 'Who was his grandfather? And how did he get there in the first place? And what kind of animals is he chasing?'
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I think the crucial thing in the writing career is to find what you want to do and how you fit in. What somebody else does is of no concern whatever except as an interesting variation.
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If a man happens to find himself, he has a mansion which he can inhabit with dignity all the days of his life.
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I was brought up in the great tradition of the late nineteenth century: that a writer never complains, never explains and never disdains.
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