Humor is the ability to see three sides to one coin. Ned Rorem More Quotes by Ned Rorem More Quotes From Ned Rorem The Great don't innovate, they fertilize seeds planted by lackeys, they leave to others the inhaling of the flowers whose roots they've manured. A deceptive memory may be the key to their originality. Ned Rorem flower keys memories As a lifelong pacifist, Quaker, and a gay man, I despair that gays and lesbians are expending energy trying to get into the military when they should be using that same energy getting rid of the military completely. Ned Rorem gay military men In music the present is extended. Ned Rorem Love is a mystery which, when solved, evaporates. The same holds for music. Ned Rorem singing music love-is The hardest of all the arts to speak of is music, because music has no meaning to speak of Ned Rorem music-is speak art All men are forced into one of two categories: those with eleven fingers and those without. Ned Rorem eleven men two Perfection is no more a requisite to art than to heroes. Frigidaires are perfect. Beauty limps. My frigidaire has had to be replaced. Ned Rorem hero perfect art I don't go to concerts much. I've heard everything. When I do go to movies, I walk out half the time. As for literature, I've read everything. Ned Rorem concerts half literature Sooner or later you've heard all your best friends have to say. Then comes the tolerance of real love. Ned Rorem your-best-friend tolerance real Compose first, worry later. Ned Rorem worry firsts If asked to list my ten favorite American fiction writers, Gail Godwin would be among them. In this, her latest . . . she evokes in a short book the long married life of two artists. Evenings at Five is a strong tale of love-after-death. Ned Rorem strong artist book If a composer could state in words what being a composer means, he would no longer need to be a composer. Ned Rorem states mean needs If you read reviews of concerts, the word 'creative' comes up all the time. However, performers playing music usually aren't creative. Critics might say they are, but they're just playing another persons work. They didn't create it. Ned Rorem playing-music creative might Quarrels in France strengthen a love affair, in America they end it. Ned Rorem france love america Intelligence is silence, truth is being invisible. But what a racket I make in declaring this. Ned Rorem invisible truth-is silence Anyone can be gay - it's no accomplishment - but only I can be me. Ned Rorem accomplishment gay i-can Greatness is not the effect of which inspiration is the cause. We are all inspired, but we are all not great. Ned Rorem greatness causes inspiration Bel canto is to opera what pole-vaulting is to ballet. Ned Rorem opera ballet musical Why, after all, must everyone like music? That they are missing something is just the lover's opinion. Ned Rorem opinion music missing Perfection is no more a requisite to art than to heroes. Ned Rorem perfection hero art