It's only through honesty and courage that science can work at all. The Ptolemaic understanding of the solar system was undermined and corrected by the constant pressure of more and more honest reporting. Philip Pullman More Quotes by Philip Pullman More Quotes From Philip Pullman I seemed to have spent the whole time either reading, which I loved, or laughing, which I love, or fooling about, which I loved. There was the usual teenage angst: "Nobody understands me" and "I'm the only genius in the world" and all that stuff. But that didn't get very deep. Philip Pullman teenage reading laughing Literary modernism kind of grew out of a sense that, “Oh my god! I’m telling a story! Oh, that can’t be the case, because I’m a clever person. I’m a literary person! What am I going to do to distinguish myself? I know! I’ll write Ulysses.” Philip Pullman stories clever writing The justice of it seems to children correct and right - I mean, we laugh at it! We underestimate children's ability to know what is a story and what isn't. Philip Pullman justice mean children My real purpose in telling middle-school students stories was to practice telling stories. And I practiced on the greatest model of storytelling we've got, which is "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey." I told those stories many, many times. And the way I would justify it to the head teacher if he came in or to any parents who complained was, look, I'm telling these great stories because they're part of our cultural heritage. I did believe that. Philip Pullman real teacher believe I practiced on the greatest model of storytelling we've got, which is "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey." I told those stories many, many times. Philip Pullman odyssey iliad stories Teachers often make the mistake of thinking they're the boss of the class; they're not. The boss of the class is sitting down there somewhere. Philip Pullman mistake teacher thinking The range of individuality in children is infinite, but every class of children seemed to have the same groups. And there was a chief girl and a chief boy - a girl that all the other girls of that age looked up to and imitated and a boy that all the boys looked up to and imitated. I realized that if I got them on my side and exclusively taught them for a couple of weeks, maybe for the first full term, then I wouldn't have any trouble. Teachers often make the mistake of thinking they're the boss of the class; they're not. The boss of the class is sitting down there somewhere. Philip Pullman girl teacher children I don't see any sign of God in this world, in the place where we live and things we know. It can all be explained to my mind perfectly satisfactorily without God. But in the great darkness beyond this little spark of light where I live, of course there may be all kinds of things. There may be a god. So I'm really an agnostic. Philip Pullman light darkness mind He's [Jesus] the most fascinating character in history, really - the character who's made more difference to the world than anyone since him. I daresay that Muslims would say Muhammad was that character, but I think Jesus had a sort of 600-year start on him. Philip Pullman character jesus thinking I wanted the chance to look again at very famous stories and see what made them work well, whether there were any ways in which they could be improved. Because the great thing about fairy tales and folk tales is that there is no authentic text. Philip Pullman stories looks way Every government secretary of state or minister should jolly well go to the theatre, go to a concert, go to an art gallery, go to a museum, become somehow interested in these things. If they're not interested, they shouldn't be in government, full stop. Philip Pullman stop theatre government art Trying to understand superstition rationally is like trying to pick up something made of wood by using a magnet. Philip Pullman wood something understand trying The arts are beyond price; they're beyond value. They're of incalculable worth in what it means to be a human being. Philip Pullman human-being price value worth I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief. Philip Pullman undermine belief christian trying I love all types of music - jazz, great pop music, world music and folk music - but the music I listen to most is piano music from the 18th, 19th and 20th century. Russian music in particular. Philip Pullman great music love world The only instrument I play myself is the ukulele. Philip Pullman instrument only myself play It should be a firmly established part of the curriculum that children should visit theatres and concert halls. Philip Pullman concert visit curriculum children Theatre is one of those things that children will love if they're helped to get there to see it. No child will find his or her own way to the theatre. Philip Pullman child love children way Men pass in front of our eyes like butterflies, creatures of a brief season. We love them; they are brave, proud, beautiful, clever; and they die almost at once. They die so soon that our hearts are continually racked with pain. Philip Pullman eyes beautiful love men And before I'd got to the end of the first paragraph, I'd come up slap bang against a fundamental problem that still troubles me today whenever I begin a story, and it's this: where am I telling it from? Philip Pullman end me problem today
