Seeing clearly within himself and always able to dodge around the ends of any position, including his own, Shaw assumed from the start the dual role of prophet and gadfly. To his contemporaries it appeared frivolous and contradictory to perform… — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
Criticism will need an injection of humility that is, a recognition of its role as ancillary to the arts, needed only occasionally in a temporary capacity. Since the critic exists only for introducing and explaining, he must be readily intelligible;… — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
It seems a long time since the morning mail could be called correspondence. — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition. — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
The reason why research is like sculpting from memory is that in neither is there a concrete visible subject to copy directly. The subject… — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
Everybody keeps calling for Excellence - excellence not just in schooling, throughout society. But as soon as somebody or something stands out as Excellent,… — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
Bernard Shaw remains the only model we have of what the citizen of a democracy should be: an informed participant in all things we… — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
The ascetic is often a sensualist who has reached the limit of his capacity. — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
Idealism springs from deep feelings, but feelings are nothing without the formulated idea that keeps them whole. — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day's work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years. — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
The mind tends to run along the groove of one's intention and overlook the actual expression. — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
Vanity is a static thing. It puts it faith in what it has, and is easily wounded. Pride is active, and satisfied only with… — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
By the time I was 9, I had the conviction that everybody in the world was an artist except plumbers or people who delivered groceries. — Jacques Barzun Copy Share Image
