51 Quotes by Wilfrid Sheed

The American male doesn't mature until he has exhausted all other possibilities.

One reason the human race has such a low opinion of itself is that it gets so much of its wisdom from writers.

Every writer is a writer of the generation before.

I picked up the writing on the very day he died. It was the only consolation I could find.

as he was with all women he knew 'personally' . . . or respected even a little bit.

It is a fallacy to think that carping is the strongest form of criticism: the important work begins after the artist's mistakes have been pointed out, and the reviewer can't put it off indefinitely with sneers, although some neophytes might be tempted to try: "When in doubt, stick out your tongue" is a safe rule that never cost one any readers. But there's nothing strong about it, and it has nothing to do with the real business of criticism, which is to do justice to the best work of one's time, so that nothing gets lost.

Even the God of Calvin never judged anyone as harshly as married couples judge each other.

Suicide is about life, being in fact the sincerest form of criticism life gets.

Saloons provide moments of genuine ecstasy - but only if your soul is at peace and the rest of your life bears contemplating. Otherwise, they are palaces of misery.