In the city one clings to nostalgic and unreal signs of community, takes forced refuge in codes, badges and coteries; the city's… — Jonathan Raban Badges Copy Share Image
To the newcomer who has not learned its language, a large city is a chaos of details, a vast Woolworths store of… — Jonathan Raban Chaos Copy Share Image
Life, as the most ancient of all metaphors insists, is a journey; and the travel book, in its deceptive simulation of the… — Jonathan Raban Ancient Copy Share Image
Sociology and anthropology are not disciplines which take easily to situations where people are able to live out their fantasies, not just… — Jonathan Raban Able Copy Share Image
Seattle is not an overly friendly city. It is a civil city, but not altogether friendly. People from outside mistake the civility… — Jonathan Raban Cities Copy Share Image
The mythical America?that marvellous, heroic, sentimental landwas an object of faith. It challenged you to make the believer's leap over the rude… — Jonathan Raban America Copy Share Image
Democrats inhabit the low shores of Puget Sound, mostly on its eastern side, in a ragged trail of port-cities that stretches from… — Jonathan Raban Borders Copy Share Image
In rural areas the majority of the victims of violent crime know their assailants (indeed, are probably married to them); in cities,… — Jonathan Raban Areas Copy Share Image
When traveling, I usually keep a notebook: when home at my desk, the notebook serves mainly to remind me how little I… — Jonathan Raban Desks Copy Share Image
Every White House has had its intellectuals, but very few presidents have been intellectuals themselves - Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Woodrow Wilson,… — Jonathan Raban House Copy Share Image
Critics? Don't talk to me of critics! You think some jackanapes journalist, his soul eaten away by the maggots of jealousy and… — Jonathan Raban Art Copy Share Image
The only nation I've ever been tempted to feel really racist about are the Swiss - a whole country of phobic hand… — Jonathan Raban Country Copy Share Image
Simply as a writer of books I'm thrilled and proud that Seattle should have raised, on a public vote, sufficient money to… — Jonathan Raban Book Copy Share Image
All this piling up of one technology on top of another-railroad on steamboat, interstate highway on railroad, hydroelectric dam on watermill-had reduced… — Jonathan Raban Canals Copy Share Image
It's been so long since a talented writer last occupied the White House; no wonder, then, that American writers have been among… — Jonathan Raban American writer Copy Share Image
Books admitted me to their world open-handedly, as people for their most part, did not. The life I lived in books was… — Jonathan Raban Book Copy Share Image
Rage' is the word that most often attaches itself to the Tea Party movement, and it's true that, from the outside looking… — Jonathan Raban 1960s Copy Share Image
