WHAT IS A COMMONPLACE BOOK?
A commonplace book is someoneās personal collection of quotes, witticisms, observances, art, poems, and even graffiti that have inspired them, made them laugh or touched them in some way.
Many famous people throughout history have kept commonplace books, such as Thomas Jefferson, John Milton, Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, and the scientist, Carl Linnaeus.
I began my commonplace books while I was in junior high school in the late 1960ās and so I have almost 50 years of quotes about a wide variety of topics. And Iām still constantly finding quotes or sayings that touch me in some way so my commonplace books are always going to be a work in progress and a labor of love.
Itās also wonderful that in this type of blog, I can include a few of my favorite artists and some of their artwork as well. Maxfield Parrish, Dale Chihuly, Berthe Morisot, Vincent Van Gogh, Norman Rockwell and several other artists are included in my commonplace book.
To quote Dorothy Parker: āI might repeat to myself, slowly and soothingly, a list of quotations beautiful from minds profound; if I can remember any of the damn things.ā
So this type of blog is much better than my two volumes of hardcover commonplace books because here I can much more easily find the quotes, poems, etc., that Iām trying to remember by using the Search box at the upper left or by going through the Categories lists.
I have tried very hard throughout the years to accurately document when, where and who said what in my commonplace books but if I have made any mistakes, I do sincerely apologize. Please correct me if you have found something wrong, thanks! .
I hope that you enjoy what has been my pleasure to collect for such a long time and perhaps you can find a quote that will also make you laugh, make you cry or make you ponder the wisdom of others. And maybe my commonplace book will also inspire you to begin your own personal collection of quotes that you will love too.
Happy Reading and Welcome to my Commonplace Book!
I also have a separate blog for my personal writings at http://jeneanebehmeswritings.tumblr.com for my short stories, haiku,spoonerisms, poetry, etc.
The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie, deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
President John F. Kennedy
(Jeneaneās Comment: John F. Kennedy said this quote in the late 1950ās or early 1960ās and it is eerie how appropriate this quote, that is over 50 years old, was to the 2016 Presidential Election that just occurred.
My personal opinion is that Donald Trump, along with his election team and supporters, became the great enemies to the truth by deliberating playing on unrealistic, persuasive and persistent myths. With all of the widespread distortions of truths and facts done by Trump and his election team and supporters, the deliberate fake news, and the hacking done on Trumpās behalf by Putin and his Russians, this quote has even more meaning as a warning against the dangers being committed against the core values of our democracy, the integrity of our elections, and our society.
The 2016 Presidential Election was an unprecedented dirty and dishonest campaign but hopefully Donald Trump will conduct a more open, honest, trustworthy and dignified first term and that he will not continue to be a great enemy of the truthā¦for our countryās sake and for all of its citizensā sake.)
The true meaning of money yet remains to be popularly explained and comprehended. When each individual realizes for himself that this thing primarily stands for and should only be accepted as a moral due ā that it should be paid out as honestly stored energy, and not as a usurped privilege ā many of our social, religious, and political troubles will have permanently passed.
From Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser, quoted from the opening paragraph of Chapter 7, āThe Lure of the Material: Beauty Speaks for Itselfā
Freedom didnāt happen because your opponents saw the light. It happened because they no longer found it necessary to live in the dark. Their hands may never move toward a candle, but their eyes adjust.
Adam Gopnik, from his article, āLiberal-In-Chiefā, from The New Yorker, May 23, 2016 issue, page 24.
During his Lead Actor in a Play acceptance speech for his role in The Father at the June 12, 2016 Tony Awards, Frank Langella quoted Dr. Suess (Theodor Geisel):
āI found some words that will mean more to you than a list of names, Langella said about halfway through his speech. āWhen something bad happens we have three choices: we let it define us, we let it destroy us, or we let it strengthen us.ā
Today in Orlando we had a hideous dose of reality, and I urge you, Orlando, to remain strong.ā The actor closed his remarks by saying, āWe will be with you every step of the way.ā
Frank Langella was referring to the horrific mass shooting at The Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida that occurred the previous evening by ISIS-inspired madman, Omar Mateen.
yousharknotpass
izzy806
prguitarman
amandla
tangentwithtanner