Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
Mark TwainRead
My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water.
Interpretation
Mark Twain compares his writing to water, accessible to all, while acknowledging the brilliance of great writers as exquisite wine.
In this quote, Mark Twain humbly reflects on the nature of his own literary works, suggesting that while they may not possess the grandeur of those produced by the great geniuses of literature, they serve an essential purpose, much like water does for survival. He implies that his writing is basic yet vital and that it resonates with a wider audience, emphasizing the importance of accessibility in literature regardless of its perceived quality.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about the value of accessible literature.
Weather is a literary specialty, and no untrained hand can turn out a good article on it
The easy part of being an artist is figuring out the message that everyone else is ready to hear. The hard part is waiting for the proper lull to make the announcement.
You can't reason with your heart; it has its own laws, and thumps about things which the intellect scorns.
To be good is noble; but to show others how to be good is nobler and no trouble.
Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident.
In Paris they just simply opened their eyes and stared when we spoke to them in French! We never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.
When the Day of Judgment dawns and people, great and small, come marching in to receive their heavenly rewards, the Almighty will gaze upon the mere bookworms and say to Peter, βLook, these need no reward. We have nothing to give them. They have loved reading.
If you're going to binge, literature is definitely the way to do it.
Writing for children is bloody difficult; books for children are as complex as their adult counterparts, and they should therefore be accorded the same respect.
When the panting and thirsting soul first drinks the delicious waters of truth, when the moral and intellectual tastes and desires first seize the fragrant fruits that flourish in the garden of knowledge, then does the child catch a glimpse and foretaste of heaven.
After all manner of professors have done their best for us, the place we are to get knowledge is in books. The true university of these days is a collection of books.
As Americans, we rightfully place tremendous value on having a free and independent press. Our role as journalists is to give voice to the voiceless, and hold our leaders and institutions accountable. But the circle is only completed when that information is consumed by a free-thinking and engaged audience.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.