“Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.” — Jane Austen
“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” — Confucius
With just four days left until publication of The Four Ms. Bradwells, these two quotes come to mind.
On the first: I feel like I start and end every day with the same to-do list even though I have been working all day. I know I’m not spending the days on “busy nothings.” I’m talking with radio hosts who have read the new novel and want to help spread the word, and to journalists, too. I’m writing posts for bloggers who are kind enough to share their space in this web-oriented world with me. I’m coordinating with publicity and marketing some really wonderful upcoming events – including one for the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois to be held in Chicago May 19 – details to come on that, but if you’re a Chicago area lawyer, do mark your calendars now. It will be a celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor as the first female Supreme Court justice (an event my law school pals will remember occurred just after we started law school).
I’m also hearing from booksellers that they have boxes of books, that they won’t go out on the shelves until Tuesday, but that they are gorgeous!
And I’m finding in the midst of this the truth of what Confucius says. I am reading the news – about Japan, about Libya and Cairo and Bahrain – and sometimes wondering what good writing does in this kind of world.
But for a reassuring answer to that, I turn to the wonderful historian, Barbara Tuchman, who said
“Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill. Without books, the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are engines of change, windows on the world and lighthouses erected in the sea of time. They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind.
Books are humanity in print.”
And so I’m doing my best to set my light glowing at the top of my lighthouse, to shed what light I can. – Meg
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Funny, I was feeling just the same today….doing so much, yet feeling like I’ve accomplished nothing.
That is a beautiful quote. I find it more comforting, somehow, than all the pundits, politicians etc. I think I’ll paste it on my desk!
Thanks so much!
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I’ve put this beautiful quote on my blog too! Its perfect. Great post! Shah from wordsinsync/blogspot.com X
“Books are humanity in print.” I love that! Congrats on the book release in a few days! I’m sure you are beyond excited right now.
Great quote and post and all the best with your book. I wish for it a sail full of wind in the direction of your dreams!
Cathy recently posted..Letters from the Edge – A Peek into the Unusual Lives of 6 Talented Writers
Meg ~
What your two quotes (and one historian) did/have done for you, your last statement has done for me – and maybe more:
“And so I’m doing my best to set my light glowing at the top of my lighthouse, to shed what light I can.”
I truly love it – beautifully poignant and timely. Thank you!
~Kathy
M Kathy Brown recently posted..When Times Are Tough
So glad you all enjoyed the post!
Such a heartening quote from Barbara Tuchman! My favorite part: “Without books, history is silent . . .” Powerful image.
What an inspiring post.
I love Mansfield Park. It has actually overtaken Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion as my favorite Austen.
Anyhow, congratulations on your book’s release. All of us SheWrites members are so proud of you and excited for you!
Jennifer O recently posted..Review- The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls
I especially like the quote from Barbara Tuchman. I’m always trying to encourage my teenagers to read, and recently I was talking to my 15-year-old about the fact that the only reason pre-historic humans are pre-historic is because they did not leave behind anything in writing. If something happened to our civilization, and they dug it 2000 years from now, all those iPods and cell phones would probably be worthless, but anything that survives with writing on it will shed light on what we like.
Carol Apple recently posted..Sundays with Pascal: 80 Years or Eternity….What Does it Matter?
Oh gosh – sorry about the typos – please edit “what we like” to “what we were like”. Also “dug it 2000 years ago” to “dug it up 2000 years ago.”
Carol Apple recently posted..Sundays with Pascal: 80 Years or Eternity….What Does it Matter?
Love this post. I often feel that way, especially when I write more light hearted pieces. Or more so, when I am trying and stuck, and then I really use the present state of the world to beat myself up with; as in I am doing nothing and being petty and selfish being worried about my writers problems.
I am going to remember that quote the next time I get that way, and remind myself that books are why I started writing, and how they can cheer me up on a dark day, or how they can teach me something I needed to know.
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The trouble with doing lots of little jobs is that although they keep the wheels turning, there’s little great satisfaction to be had from them, particularly when they have to be done again tomorrow and the next day and… So, yes, the quote is wonderful, we should constantly look at the bigger picture of what a great book actually is and see the little fiddly bits as bricks in the wall. Nice post!
Jackie Buxton recently posted..Plant pots and holiday nightmares
Beautiful post. I often wonder the same thing…is my writing serving a purpose? But I always wind up swinging back around to my original intent. That being, yes, it is. Even in our fast-paced world today, nothing spreads knowledge, insight, and the overall human experience the way books do. Thanks for writing.
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