"And thus we arrive at the surprising truth that true art is truer than fact."
—James Wideman Lee, The Geography of Genius (1920)

"The simple answer is that fashion changed.”

—Alistair Fox, The English Renaissance (1997)

An illustration from an 1863 issue of Harper's magazine.

Dedicated to June.

Why begin "astonish" with a double S?  Interestingly, the word derives from the Latin tonāre, "to thunder," and the double S glyph of pre-Columbian Mexico is a symbol of clouds, rain, and water.

"Hey, like Aretha, says: R-e-s-p-e-c-t.  Something something means to me or however the other lyrics go."
—Christopher John Farley, My Favorite War

"Corporate America loves experts, and pays dearly for their expertise.  This may surprise you—have you ever considered becoming an information expert in a small area?"
—Michael Geraghty, Anybody Can Negotiate—Even You! (2006)

Prof. Oddfellow sends greetings from the "Other Side."

Imagine a game of "What's My Line," in which either a cherub or an imp whispers into a blindfolded panelist's ear.

Are the following whispered words of an angelic or a diabolical nature?




Answer: Angelic. ""Where there's a will there's a way,' his angel whispered.” —Eddie Stack, The West, 2010, p. 112. (The answer is in black text on the black background. Highlight it to view.)

"Believe it or not, money isn't all that it's cracked up to be."
—Lee Goldberg, Mr. Monk in Outer Space

"Don't take this the wrong way, but from everything you've told me, it sounds like other than dark movie theaters, you don't exactly have a scene."
—Robin Palmer, Geek Charming

Yes, you may . . . on one condition:

"I would like for you to have your cell phone on you at all times, so that if anything goes wrong, you can call someone."  —Erin Sankey, Nalee

 "Our only certainty is to act with the body."
—Wittgenstein

"For the surprising truth is, love has little to do with relationship survival."
—Tom Merrill & Bobbie Sandoz-Merril, Settle for More (2005)

 

"Even if our work is rooted in realism, we have to believe there is more to our world than meets the eye." —Sara Zarr

(via Martha Brockenbrough)

"Strange how colourful life can be if you take the trouble to look at it from close to and turn your back on the so-called important things, which only bring vexation and suffering."
—Gustav Meyrink, The Green Face

"This answer is simple, very simple indeed, and, to really honest minds, it ought to be self-evident. ... Human pride.”

—The Dublin Review (1903)