“Is it sin, which makes the worm a chrysalis, and the chrysalis a butterfly, and the butterfly dust?” — Max Muller

“Batty as it sounds, subject and style may choose artists, through some unfathomable cosmic means. How else to explain that even artists who enjoy what they do can be perplexed or even horrified that they’re doing it?” — Jerry Saltz “I think about the characters I’ve created and then I sit down and start typing […]

“Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.” — Sholom Aleichem “I like L.A. because of the light. The light makes me feel so good. It’s really beautiful. And there’s something about L.A. being so spread out that gives you a […]

“You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.” — James Allen “As fighting in Iraq intensifies, President Bush delivered his supplemental war budget to Congress. The money will cover 30 days of fighting, then we’ll be sent one war every other month until we cancel our subscription.” — […]

“Corporations are like countries now, there’s a king, there are serfs, there’s a court, basically everything but moats. They’re feudal societies, and there are good ones and bad ones.” — Tony Gilroy “Remember: your bosses prefer to keep you in dependent positions. It is in their interest that you do not become self-reliant, and so […]

“There are two futures, the future of desire and the future of fate, and man’s reason has never learned to separate them.” — John Desmond Bernal “They’re talking about banning cigarette smoking now in any place that’s used by ten or more people in a week, which, I guess, means that Madonna can’t even smoke […]

“From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity.” — Edvard Munch “Cognitive psychology has shown that the mind best understands facts when they are woven into a conceptual fabric, such as a narrative, mental map, or intuitive theory. Disconnected facts in the mind are like unlinked pages […]

“We’re already cyborgs. Your phone and your computer are extensions of you, but the interface is through finger movements or speech, which are very slow.” — Elon Musk

The Lord of Blight’s Field was dying. He lay propped up on a dozen pillows in his bed, surrounded by wise men and doctors. None of them could do a damn thing for him. The Lord snorted and moved restlessly, crossing one arm over his chest. “Bring me my son!” he cried. The Crown Prince […]

“The secret to the movie business, or any business, is to get a good education in a subject besides film — whether it’s history, psychology, economics, or architecture — so you have something to make a movie about. All the skill in the world isn’t going to help you unless you have something to say.” […]