Such a darling child, they would say, and pat her head. And Miriam would answer in her heart: you made my father a slave. You want us all dead. You are the river, you and all of Egypt. You are the river and as long as we stay beside you we are in danger of drowning.

I had a daughter who was 9 years old and I had the feeling I wasn't going to be a real parent if I didn't quit making movies for a while and spend time with her. I also felt that I'd made enough movies and said what I had to say at the time.

Jane Campion

The desire of advising has a very extensive prevalence; and, since advice cannot be given but to those that will hear it, a patient listener is necessary to the accommodation of all those who desire to be confirmed in the opinion of their own wisdom: a patient listener, however, is not always to be had; the present age, whatever age is present, is so vitiated and disordered, that young people are readier to talk than to attend, and good counsel is only thrown away upon those who are full of their own perfections.

Samuel Johnson, July 21, 1753

A lie's true power cannot be accurately measured by the number of people who believe its deception when it is told, it must be measured by the number of people who will go out after hearing it trying to convince others of its truth.

Dennis Sharpe

You know, be an actor because you love to act. Don't be an actor because you think you're going to get famous, because that's luck.

Whoopi Goldberg

Nobody gets praised for the right reasons.

Diana Wynne Jones

Almost all of your life is lived by the seat of your pants, one unexpected event crashing into another, with no pattern or reason, and then you finally reach a point, around my age, where you spend more time than ever looking back. Why did this happen? Look where that led? You see the shape of things.

Ron Perlman

Modesty is the chastity of merit, the virginity of noble souls.

Madame de Girardin

The lack of belief is a defect that ought to be concealed when it cannot be overcome.

Jonathan Swift

And only now, when he was gray-haired, had he fallen in love properly, thoroughly, for the first time in his life.

Anton Chekhov

As you read my stories of long ago I hope you will remember that the things that are truly worthwhile and that will give you happiness are the same now as they were then. Courage and kindness, loyalty, truth, and helpfulness are always the same and always needed.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

We learn by teaching.

Proverb

This is all you have. This is not a dry run. This is your life. If you want to fritter it away with your fears, then you will fritter it away, but you won't get it back later.

Laura Schlessinger