William Dean Howells
William Dean Howells
William Dean Howellswas an American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright. Nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters", he was particularly known for his tenure as editor of The Atlantic Monthly as well as his own prolific writings, including the Christmas story "Christmas Every Day", and the novels The Rise of Silas Lapham and A Traveler from Altruria...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAuthor
Date of Birth1 March 1837
CountryUnited States of America
dream men crank
If we like a man's dream, we call him a reformer; if we don't like his dream, we call him a crank.
tragedy want happy-endings
What the American public wants in the theater is a tragedy with a happy ending.
sister heart twins
Wisdom and goodness are twin-born, one heart must hold both sisters, never seen apart.
country brother thinking
It's a curious thing, this thing we call civilization...we think it is an affair of epochs, and nations. It's really an affair of individuals. One brother will be civilized and the other a barbarian...All civilization comes through literature now, especially in our country. A Greek got his civilization by talking and looking, and in some measure a Parisian may still do it. But we, who live remote from history and monuments, we must read or we must barbarise.
wise winning men
The conqueror is regarded with awe; the wise man commands our respect; but it is only the benevolent man that wins our affection.
gratitude pain prayer
Lord, for the erring thought Not unto evil wrought: Lord, for the wicked will Betrayed, and baffled still: For the heart from itself kept, Our thanksgiving accept. For ignorant hopes that were Broken to our blind prayer: For pain, death, sorrow, sent Unto our chastisement: For all loss of seeming good, Quicken our gratitude.
inspirational sleep silence
He who sleeps in continual noise is wakened by silence.
filled-up rooms world
There will presently be no room in the world for things; it will be filled up with the advertisements of things.