--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I first wrote a biography of Thomas…" description: "\"I first wrote a biography of Thomas Carlyle, and it turned out I loved writing biographies and had a talent for it. I believed I had a contribution to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28b/fred-kaplan-18752_contribution_i-first-wrote-a-biography-of-thomas-carl_626081.jpg" --- # I first wrote a biography of Thomas Carlyle, and it turned… ![“I first wrote a biography of Thomas Carlyle, and it turned out I loved writing biographies and had a talent for it. I believed I had a contribution to make.” quote by Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28b/fred-kaplan-18752_contribution_i-first-wrote-a-biography-of-thomas-carl_626081.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28b/fred-kaplan-18752_contribution_i-first-wrote-a-biography-of-thomas-carl_626081.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28b/fred-kaplan-18752_contribution_i-first-wrote-a-biography-of-thomas-carl_626081.jpg) > “I first wrote a biography of Thomas Carlyle, and it turned out I loved writing biographies and had a talent for it. I believed I had a contribution to make.” [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writing a biography revealed a passion and skill for chronicling lives, inspiring a sense of purpose. **In simple terms:** Biographies sparked his love and talent. Key Takeaway Pursue what you discover you excel at. Themes self‑discovery writing history career learning Mood inspirational reflective Type motivational career‑oriented When to use this quote - career counseling - creative writing workshops - historical research Key Concepts biographical narrative personal growth skill development Questions to Reflect On - What hidden talents could you uncover? - How can you turn a hobby into a profession? A Different Perspective Talent may be niche and market‑limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contribution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) [Talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talent/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I started out as a writer of fiction, but nobody wanted to publish my work as a young man. So I decided to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/i-started-out-as-a-writer-of-fiction-but-nobody-wanted-to-publish-my/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [ He - A.J.\[Muste\] never got much credit, never got much attention. For example, I wrote a biography of him and nobody ever heard of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/he-a-j-muste-never-got-much-credit-never-got-much-attention-for/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [“It seems to me that someone must surely take the hint and write the life of Miss McGeeney, the woman who wrote the biography…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathanael-west/it-seems-to-me-that-someone-must-surely-take-the-hint-and-write-the/) [Nathanael West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathanael-west/) > [Newt Gingrich wrote a novel, and he's a short story. Bill Clinton wrote a biography, and he's a novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/newt-gingrich-wrote-a-novel-and-he-s-a-short-story-bill-clinton-wrote/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [For me writing biographies is impossible, unless they are brief and concise, and these are, I feel, the most eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-nobel/for-me-writing-biographies-is-impossible-unless-they-are-brief-and/) [Alfred Nobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-nobel/) > [Writing Charles Dickens' biography is like writing five biographies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/writing-charles-dickens-biography-is-like-writing-five-biographies/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [If you know anything about writing biographies, or what is regarded as a good biography, you have minimum input from the person you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-colin-campbell/if-you-know-anything-about-writing-biographies-or-what-is-regarded-as/) [Lady Colin Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-colin-campbell/) > [I sometimes think that, since I started writing biographies, I've had more of a life in books than I have had in my real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-tomalin/i-sometimes-think-that-since-i-started-writing-biographies-i-ve-had/) [Claire Tomalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-tomalin/) > [“THE greatest of English dramatists except Shakespeare, the first literary dictator and poet-laureate, a writer of verse, prose, satire, and criticism who most potently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/the-greatest-of-english-dramatists-except-shakespeare-the-first/) [Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/) > [Some years ago, I read Thomas Carlyle's history of the French Revolution, and I was very taken by the way he told the story,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/some-years-ago-i-read-thomas-carlyle-s-history-of-the-french/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [“For all those who keep on asking me when will i get my first royalty cheque: The highest reward for a person's work is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lovely-goyal/for-all-those-who-keep-on-asking-me-when-will-i-get-my-first-royalty/) [Lovely Goyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lovely-goyal/) > [“The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none. —historian and essayist Thomas Carlyle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-tavris/the-greatest-of-faults-i-should-say-is-to-be-conscious-of-none/) [Carol Tavris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-tavris/) > [Every year, I have my graduate students read the great works of history, from classical times to the present. They gamely tackle Tacitus, ponder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/every-year-i-have-my-graduate-students-read-the-great-works-of/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [“A poor puppy with an empty can tied to his tail, Thomas Carlyle wittily observes, ran and ran on, frightened by the noise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaiten-nukariya/a-poor-puppy-with-an-empty-can-tied-to-his-tail-thomas-carlyle/) [Kaiten Nukariya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaiten-nukariya/) > [“I fear no hell, just as I expect no heaven. Nabokov summed up a nonbeliever’s view of the cosmos, and our place in it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tayler/i-fear-no-hell-just-as-i-expect-no-heaven-nabokov-summed-up-a/) [Jeffrey Tayler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tayler/) ## More by Fred Kaplan > [Serious biographies need to have a historical base in facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/serious-biographies-need-to-have-a-historical-base-in-facts/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [To give credit to Lincoln for moral progression seems beyond the facts and unnecessary for our appreciation of this arguably greatest of all American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/to-give-credit-to-lincoln-for-moral-progression-seems-beyond-the/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [I'm not a Lincoln expert, rather a biographer who has had the pleasure of reading much of what has been written about him from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/i-m-not-a-lincoln-expert-rather-a-biographer-who-has-had-the-pleasure/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Myth and mythology often serve constructive and aspirational purposes. But they also do harm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/myth-and-mythology-often-serve-constructive-and-aspirational-purposes/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [“The New START accord cuts the strategic nuclear arsenals on each side to 1,550 warheads. Can any of its critics make a case that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/the-new-start-accord-cuts-the-strategic-nuclear-arsenals-on-each-side/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Is there really any relationship between artists' personal conduct and their art? Certainly not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/is-there-really-any-relationship-between-artists-personal-conduct-and/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Words about Lincoln fill a small but ever-growing library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/words-about-lincoln-fill-a-small-but-ever-growing-library/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Gore Vidal was a man of immense literary talent, some of which he used well, some of which he wasted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/gore-vidal-was-a-man-of-immense-literary-talent-some-of-which-he-used/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [“He had entered another imaginative world, one connected to the beginning of his life as a writer, to the Napoleonic world that had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/he-had-entered-another-imaginative-world-one-connected-to-the/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Obama is a very fine writer with an excellent command of language. His memoir 'Dreams From My Father' is a fine book, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/obama-is-a-very-fine-writer-with-an-excellent-command-of-language-his/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [ “As became a young sinner, Sam \[Mark Twain\] had a special interest in Satan. He asked his Sunday school teacher questions about Eve in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/as-became-a-young-sinner-sam-mark-twain-had-a-special-interest-in/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > ['Colonel Roosevelt' is compelling reading, and Morris a brilliant biographer who practices his art at the highest level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/colonel-roosevelt-is-compelling-reading-and-morris-a-brilliant/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [Can a great artist be mean-spirited, grasping, harsh to his family, violent in his emotions, vindictive in his hatreds, an all-purpose scoundrel? If our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/can-a-great-artist-be-mean-spirited-grasping-harsh-to-his-family/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [I want to contribute to the culture and keep great writers alive by telling the stories of their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/i-want-to-contribute-to-the-culture-and-keep-great-writers-alive-by/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) > [The value of Eric Foner's 'The Fiery Trial' lies in its comprehensive review of mostly familiar material; in its sensible evaluation of the full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-kaplan/the-value-of-eric-foner-s-the-fiery-trial-lies-in-its-comprehensive/) [Fred Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) [Explore all 34 Fred Kaplan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-kaplan/) ## More Contribution quotes > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. 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Almost every band that made it big in the Nineties owed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-grohl/i-love-black-sabbath-they-made-an-amazing-contribution-to-music-today/) [Dave Grohl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-grohl/) > [There is still zero empirical evidence that anthropogenic production of CO2 is making any measurable contribution to the world's present warming trend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-is-still-zero-empirical-evidence-that-anthropogenic-production/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [I have nothing but praise for the boy. He is easily the best player in the world. His contribution as a goal threat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ferguson/i-have-nothing-but-praise-for-the-boy-he-is-easily-the-best-player-in/) [Alex Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ferguson/) > [The way a culture treats women in birth is a good indicator of how well women and their contributions to society are valued and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ina-may-gaskin/the-way-a-culture-treats-women-in-birth-is-a-good-indicator-of-how/) [Ina May Gaskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ina-may-gaskin/) > [The excellence of this important contribution to genre literature CANNOT be overstated A masterwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-nolan/the-excellence-of-this-important-contribution-to-genre-literature/) William F. Nolan > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Fundamentally transforming the foundations of the economy is the biggest contribution we can make towards building a sustainable future. The current economic crisis may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathon-porritt/fundamentally-transforming-the-foundations-of-the-economy-is-the/) [Jonathon Porritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathon-porritt/) > [I think self-deprecation is such a disease, and I want to cure everybody of it and so that's my contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-think-self-deprecation-is-such-a-disease-and-i-want-to-cure/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [It is in the measure that special methods acknowledge their common core in transcendental method, that norms common to all the sciences will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lonergan/it-is-in-the-measure-that-special-methods-acknowledge-their-common/) [Bernard Lonergan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lonergan/) > [Chaperons, even in their days of glory, were almost never able to enforce morality; what they did was to force immorality to be discreet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-martin/chaperons-even-in-their-days-of-glory-were-almost-never-able-to/) [Judith Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-martin/) > [Replace your pursuit of success with the pursuit of contribution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/replace-your-pursuit-of-success-with-the-pursuit-of-contribution/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [There is no art or science that is too difficult for industry to attain to; it is the gift of tongues, and makes a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/there-is-no-art-or-science-that-is-too-difficult-for-industry-to/) [Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hyde-1st-earl-of-clarendon/) > [What 'eminent domain' laws mean in practice is that politicians have a right to seize your property and turn it over to someone else,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/what-eminent-domain-laws-mean-in-practice-is-that-politicians-have-a/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Browse all 1,297 Contribution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contribution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I first wrote a biography of Thomas Carlyle, and it turned out I loved writing biographies and had a talent for it. 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