Russell Baker Quotes

A collection of quotes by Russell Baker.

Russell Baker was an American journalist, humorist, and author born on August 14, 1925, in Morrisonville, Virginia. He became renowned for his wit and insight as a columnist for The New York Times, where he contributed for more than three decades.

Baker started his career as a reporter for The Baltimore Sun in 1947 and later joined The New York Times in 1954. He gained popularity through his Pulitzer Prize-winning column, "Observer," which ran from 1962 to 1998. Baker's column stood out for its clever and humorous take on various topics, often satirizing politics, culture, and everyday life.

In addition to his columns, Baker authored several books, including his autobiography "Growing Up," published in 1982. This memoir humorously recounts his childhood experiences and family life. The book was widely acclaimed and won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 1983.

Throughout his career, Russell Baker received numerous awards for his contributions to journalism and literature. He was known for his witty observations, insightful analysis, and ability to capture the spirit of the times. With a distinctive writing style that combined humor and keen observation, Baker left a lasting impact on both journalism and literature. He passed away on January 21, 2019, leaving behind a legacy of wit and wisdom.

Inanimate objects can be classified scientifically into thre

Inanimate objects can be classified scientifically into three major categories those that don't work, those that break down and those that get lost.

Happiness is a small and unworthy goal for something as big

Happiness is a small and unworthy goal for something as big and fancy as a whole lifetime, and should be taken in small doses.

I gave up on new poetry myself thirty years ago, when most o

I gave up on new poetry myself thirty years ago, when most of it began to read like coded messages passing between lonely aliens on a hostile world.

Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it.

Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it.

Urban people, of course, are terribly scared nowadays. They

Urban people, of course, are terribly scared nowadays. They may yearn for society, but it is risky to go around talking to strangers, for a lot of reasons, one being that people are so accustomed not to have many human contacts that they are afraid they may find out they really prefer life that way.

Life People Society

A day spent praising the earth and lamenting man's pollution

A day spent praising the earth and lamenting man's pollutionist history makes you feel like a superior, sensitive soul.

Americans like fat books and thin women.

Americans like fat books and thin women.

What the New Yorker calls home would seem like a couple of c

What the New Yorker calls home would seem like a couple of closets to most Americans, yet he manages not only to live there but also to grow trees and cockroaches right on the premises.

Life is always walking up to us and saying, 'Come on in, the

Life is always walking up to us and saying, 'Come on in, the living's fine,' and what do we do? Back off and take its picture.

So there he is at last. Man on the moon. The poor magnificen

So there he is at last. Man on the moon. The poor magnificent bungler! He can't even get to the office without undergoing the agonies of the damned, but give him a little metal, a few chemicals, some wire and twenty or thirty billion dollars and, vroom! there he is, up on a rock a quarter of a million miles up in the sky.

It seems to be a law in American life that whatever enriches

It seems to be a law in American life that whatever enriches us anywhere except in the wallet inevitably becomes uneconomic.

Inanimate objects are classified scientifically into three m

Inanimate objects are classified scientifically into three major categories -- those that don't work, those that break down and those that get lost.

Things Little Things

The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultim

The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultimately defeat him.

In an age when the fashion is to be in love with yourself, c

In an age when the fashion is to be in love with yourself, confessing to be in love with somebody else is an admission of unfaithfulness to one's beloved.

The best discussion of trouble in boardroom and business off

The best discussion of trouble in boardroom and business office is found in newspapers' own financial pages and speeches by journalists in management jobs.

Except for politics, no business is scrutinized more exhaust

Except for politics, no business is scrutinized more exhaustively than journalism.

There is a growing literature about the multitude of journal

There is a growing literature about the multitude of journalism's problems, but most of it is concerned with the editorial side of the business, possibly because most people competent to write about journalism are not comfortable writing about finance.

When sudden death takes a president, opportunities for new b

When sudden death takes a president, opportunities for new beginnings flourish among the ambitious and the tensions among such people can be dramatic, as they were when President Kennedy was killed.

You can always tell folks from nonfolks. Folks like to feel

You can always tell folks from nonfolks. Folks like to feel good, like to smile for the camera when there's a big photo opportunity for a really good cause.

Is fuel efficiency really what we need most desperately? I s

Is fuel efficiency really what we need most desperately? I say that what we really need is a car that can be shot when it breaks down.