If you want to concentrate deeply on some problem, and especially some piece of writing or paper-work, you should acquire a cat . . . Muriel Spark More Quotes by Muriel Spark More Quotes From Muriel Spark Beware of men bearing flowers. Muriel Spark flower men The sacrifice of pleasures is of course itself a pleasure. Muriel Spark sacrifice pleasure happiness I never trust the airlines from those countries where the pilots believe in the afterlife. You are safer when they don't. Muriel Spark afterlife believe country The words of the double-tongued are as if they were harmless, but they reach even to the inner part of the bowels. Praise be to the Lord, who distinguishes our cause and delivers us from the unjust and deceitful man. Muriel Spark unjust deception men New York, home of the vivisectors of the mind, and of the mentally vivisected still to be reassembled, of those who live intact, habitually wondering about their states of sanity, and home of those whose minds have been dead, bearing the scars of resurrection. Muriel Spark new-york mind home Parents learn a lot from their children about coping with life. Muriel Spark inspirational-life family children Every communist has a fascist frown, every fascist a communist smile. Muriel Spark communist fascists smile For those who like that sort of thing," said Miss Brodie in her best Edinburgh voice, "That is the sort of thing they like. Muriel Spark edinburgh voice missing it never really occurred to her that literary men, if they like women at all, do not want literary women but girls. Muriel Spark girl want men Fiction to me is a kind of parable. You have got to make up your mind it's not true. Some kind of truth emerges from it, but it's not fact. Muriel Spark mind facts fiction I wouldn't take the Pope too seriously. He's a Pole first, a pope second, and maybe a Christian third. Muriel Spark pope christian firsts How wonderful it feels to be an artist and a woman in the twentieth century. Muriel Spark century artist wonderful If you want to concentrate deeply on some problem, and especially some piece of writing or paper-work, you should acquire a cat. Alone with the cat in the room where you work ... the cat will invariably get up on your desk and settle placidly under the desk lamp ... The cat will settle down and be serene, with a serenity that passes all understanding. Muriel Spark serenity cat writing Frankness is usually a euphemism for rudeness. Muriel Spark euphemism frankness rudeness we have invented sex guilt to take our minds off the real thing. Muriel Spark real mind sex Goodness, Truth and Beauty come first Muriel Spark truth-and-beauty goodness firsts The word "education" comes from the root e from ex, out, and duco, I lead. It means a leading out. To me education is a leading out of what is already there in the pupil's soul. Muriel Spark soul roots mean Neurotics are awfully quick to notice other people's mentalities. Muriel Spark mentality people [My novel] took up the sweetest part of my mind and the rarest part of my imagination; it was like being in love and better. All day long when I was busy [...], I had my unfinished novel personified almost as a secret companion and accomplice following me like a shadow wherever I went, whatever I did. Muriel Spark being-in-love imagination long Looking forward to going home, I was necessarily looking backward. Muriel Spark going-home looking-forward home
