LITERARY WISDOM

Oliver Wendell Holmes (1858)

The Deacon’s Masterpiece, or The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay

Have you heard of the Wonderful One-Hoss Shay,

That was built in such a logical way,

It ran for a hundred years to the day.

All of a sudden it - - ah but stay.

I’ll tell you what happened without delay

…

You see of course, if you’re not a dunce.

How it went to pieces all at once-

All at once but nothing first,

Just as bubbles do when they burst.

Oscar Wilde (1891) - The Picture of Dorian Gray

Chapter 2

“How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But the picture will remain always young… If it were the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that - for that - I would give everything.”

Marcel Proust (1909) A la Recherche du Temps Perdu

A intense childhood memory was triggered by the taste of tea and a madeleine cake.

Orson Welles (1941) Citizen Kane

Mr. Bernstein (Everett Sloane): “A fellow will remember a lot of things you wouldn’t think he’d remember. You take me. One day, back in 1896, I was crossing over to Jersey on the ferry, as we pulled out, there was another ferry pulling in, and on it there was a girl waiting to get off. A white dress she had on. She was carrying a white parasol. I only saw her for one second. She didn’t see me at all, but I’ll bet a month hasn’t gone by since, that I haven’t thought of that girl.”