If it’s going to be a world with no time for sentiment, it’s not a world that I want to live in. Christopher Isherwood More Quotes by Christopher Isherwood More Quotes From Christopher Isherwood I'll bet Shakespeare compromised himself a lot; anybody who's in the entertainment industry does to some extent. Christopher Isherwood entertainment-industry entertainment doe The Nazis hated culture itself, because it is essentially international and therefore subversive of nationalism. What they called Nazi culture was a local, perverted, nationalistic cult, by which a few major artists and many minor ones were honored for their Germanness, not their talent. Christopher Isherwood talent artist culture It seems to me that the real clue to your sexual orientation lies in your romantic feelings rather than your sexual feelings. If you are really gay, you are able to fall in love with a man, not just enjoy sex with him. Christopher Isherwood falling-in-love real sex But now isn’t simply now. Now is also a cold reminder: one whole day later than yesterday, one year later than last year. Every now is labeled with its date, rendering all past nows obsolete, until — later of sooner — perhaps — no, not perhaps — quite certainly: it will come. Christopher Isherwood yesterday past years Horror is always aware of its cause; terror never is. That is precisely what makes terror terrifying. Christopher Isherwood terror horror causes A minority is only thought of as a minority when it constitutes some kind of threat to the majority, real or imaginary. And no threat is ever quite imaginary. Christopher Isherwood majority minorities real Every writer has certain subjects that they write about again and again, and . . . most people's books are just variations on certain themes. Christopher Isherwood writing book people I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking. Recording the man shaving at the window opposite and the woman in the kimono washing her hair. Some day, all this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed. Christopher Isherwood hair men thinking George smiles to himself, with entire self-satisfaction. Yes, I am crazy, he thinks. That is my secret; my strength. Christopher Isherwood crazy self thinking For other people, I can't speak - but, personally, I haven't gotten wise on anything. Certainly, I've been through this and that; and when it happens again, I say to myself, Here it is again. But that doesn't seem to help me. In my opinion, I, personally, have gotten steadily sillier and sillier - and that's a fact. Christopher Isherwood wise facts people California is a tragic country - like Palestine, like every Promised Land. Christopher Isherwood california land country The prefect evening...lying down on the couch beside the bookcase and reading himself sleepy...Jim lying opposite him at the other end of the couch, also reading; the two of them absorbed in their books yet so completely aware of each other's presence. Christopher Isherwood reading book lying One should never write down or up to people, but out of yourself. Christopher Isherwood should writing people I'm horrified to find, as I look at these diaries of twenty-five years ago or more, that I don't remember who the people were. "Bill and Tony were constantly in and out. We went to La Jolla" - or something. I haven't the bluest idea who they were! Christopher Isherwood people years ideas Do you think it makes people nasty to be loved? You know it doesn’t! Then why should it make them nice to be loathed? While you’re being persecuted, you hate what’s happening to you, you hate the people who are making it happen; you’re in a world of hate. Why, you wouldn’t recognize love if you met it! You’d suspect love! You’d think there was something behind it—some motive—some trick. Christopher Isherwood nice hate love-you Waking up begins with saying am and now. That which has awoken then lies for a while staring up at the ceiling and down into itself until it has recognized I, and therefrom deduced I am, I am now. Here comes next, and is at least negatively reassuring; because here, this morning, is where it has expected to find itself: what’s called at home. Christopher Isherwood home morning lying I doubt if one ever accepts a belief until one urgently needs it. Christopher Isherwood belief doubt needs The paternalist is a sentimentalist at heart, and the sentimentalist is always potentially cruel. Christopher Isherwood heart As they embrace, she kisses him full on the mouth. And suddenly sticks her tongue right in. She has done this before, often. It’s one of those drunken long shots which just might, at least theoretically, once in ten thousand tries, throw a relationship right out of its orbit and send it whizzing off on another. Do women ever stop trying? No. But, because they never stop, they learn to be good losers. Christopher Isherwood kissing trying long Staring and staring into the mirror, it sees many faces within its face - the face of the child, the boy, the young man, the not-so-young man - all present still, preserved like fossils on superimposed layers, and, like fossils, dead. Their message to this live dying creature is: Look at us - we have died - what is there to be afraid of? It answers them: But that happened so gradually, so easily. I'm afraid of being rushed. Christopher Isherwood men boys children
