Of strength and tenderness
This comes from Kazantzakis's account of Jesus' life and death, and I found the prayer he puts in Christ's mind...
Summer send-off
This lyrical quotation captures that brightness of summer as it matures, as if it doesn’t want to leave the seasonal...
Long range planning
When I look at old or ancient things which we still cherish, I sometimes ask what we are creating today...
Shock and reverberation
Charlotte Brontë captures the lasting impression of fear and injustice, and the emotional outrage caused by both, in a child...
Affluence of life and certainty of flow
How about that for a well-wishing phrase to fling into the world! May you enjoy both affluence of life and...
Do what a hero must
Naturally, any would-be hero or heroine needs to set sail, or how are they to prove their worth? Clive James,...
Not long to wait, then
At last, we learn that an explanation is on the way. And the day after never isn't far off, now,...
Bread and coins
This intriguing picnic caught my eye, in particular the honey-water soaked barley bread.
"... straight to Pluto's palace. But don't...
This is my life
This statement of arrow-straight simplicity could serve as an occasional sanity check. If it rings true, we’re on track. If it causes a flinch or a...
Wait your turn!
This observation of a family of swallows over 150 years ago struck me, along with another surprising tale by...
Letters better late than never
The war-time life-line of letters is summed up here. Their erratic arrival in a region of Italy where the battle...
The mission of those who love mankind
This great humanistic cry was for me the most striking thing about Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose. Although he...
© Beatrice Otto 2019 - design & content unless otherwise stated - all rights reserved