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James Agee

James Agee Quotes

Author

James Agee (November 27, 1909 - May 16, 1955) was an American author, playwright, and film critic. Known for his profound social criticism and literary talent, Agee is best remembered for his novel 'A Death in the Family' and the screenplay for the film 'The African Queen'.

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Famous James Agee Quotes

“Of those that are drawn away, each is drawn elsewhere toward another: once more a man and a woman, in a loneliness they are not liable at that time to notice, are tightened together upon a bed: and another family has begun.”

Men Together Family Loneliness Bed Elsewhere Liable

Book:Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Three Tenant Families

Source: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Three Tenant Families

“I prefer a little free speech to no free speech at all; but how many have free speech or the chance or the mind for it; and is not free speech here as elsewhere clamped down on in ratio of its freedom and danger?”

Mind Littles Chance Danger Speech Elsewhere Free Speech Ratios

Author:James Agee

“I know the most important faculty to develop is one for hard, continuous and varied work and living; but the difference between knowing this and doing anything consistent about it is often abysmal.”

Knows Important Hard Differences Knowing Consistent Faculty

Author:James Agee

“A girl's brain is mysterious, but only in a superficial way-a way very exasperating to me.”

Way Girl Brain Intelligence Mysterious Superficial

Author:James Agee

“One thing I feel is this: that a great deal of poetry is the product of adolescence-or of an emotionally adolescent frame of mind: and that as this state of mind changes, poetry is likely to dry up.”

Feels Mind States Deals One Thing Products Dry Poetry Is State Of Mind Adolescence Frame Of Mind Dry Up

Author:James Agee

“It is the middle and pure height and whole of summer and a summer night, the held breath, of a planet's year; high shored sleeps the crested tide: what day of the month I do not know, which day of the week I am not sure, far less what hour of the night.”

Knows Years Whole Night Hours Sleep Week Middle Planets Months Pure Summer Breaths Height Not Sure Tides Days Of The Week Summer Nights

Book:Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Three Tenant Families

Source: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Three Tenant Families

“I believe that every human being is potentially capable within his 'limits' of fully 'realizing' his potentialities; that this, his being cheated and choked of it, is infinitely the ghastliest, commonest, and most inclusive of all the crimes of which the human world can assure itself.”

World Believe Humans I Believe Realizing Human Beings Crime Limits Capable Cheated

Author:James Agee

About the Author

Born: November 27, 1909
Died: May 16, 1955
Known for: Author
Quotes: 57

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Books & Sources

A Death in the FamilyRelated source material

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: Three Tenant FamiliesRelated source material

A Way of SeeingRelated source material

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men: A Death in the Family, & Shorter FictionRelated source material

Let Us Now Praise Famous MenRelated source material

Agee on film: Reviews and commentsRelated source material

Cotton Tenants: Three FamiliesRelated source material

Letters of James Agee to Father FlyeRelated source material

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