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Thornton Wilder Quotes

Playwright

American playwright, renowned for his works 'Our Town' and 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'. His works are characterized by deep insight and a unique style, profoundly influencing 20th-century American theater.

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All Our Town World Knows Life Love People Humans Children Earth Men Doe Ifs Theater Thornton Wilder Human Beings Moments Self Thinking Way Years

Famous Thornton Wilder Quotes

“How do you know what the world is like? Do you know the world is a foul sty? Do you know if you rip the fronts off houses you'd find swine? The world's a hell. What does it matter what happens in it?”

Ifs Knows World Doe Matter Happens Hate House Hell Doubt Fronts Do You Know Rip Foul Does It Matter Swine

Author:Thornton Wilder

“How terrifying and glorious the role of man if, indeed, without guidance and without consolation he must create from his own vitals the meaning for his existence and write the rules whereby he lives.”

Ifs Men Writing Existence Roles Guidance Glorious Consolation

Book:The ides of March

Source: The ides of March

“A good writer preserves an air of freedom in his prose, so that the reader won't know how a story will end - even if he's reading a history book.”

Ifs Knows Book Ends Stories Reading Know How Air Reader Preserves Prose Good Writers History Books

Author:Thornton Wilder

“Hope, like faith, is nothing if it is not courageous; it is nothing if it is not ridiculous.”

Ifs Faith Hope Fear Atheism Rage Ridiculous Courageous Be Courageous

Author:Thornton Wilder

“If I wasn't an actor, I'd be a secret agent.”

Ifs Actors Acting Secret Agents Secret Agent

Author:Thornton Wilder

“If you write to impress it will always be bad, but if you write to express it will be good”

Ifs Writing Be Good Impress

Author:Thornton Wilder

“If a man has no vices, he is in great danger of making vices about his virtues, and there's a spectacle.”

Ifs Men Virtue Danger Vices

Book:Conversations with Thornton Wilder

Source: Conversations with Thornton Wilder

About the Author

Born: April 17, 1897
Died: December 7, 1975
Known for: Playwright
Quotes: 174

Books & Sources

The Bridge of San Luis ReyRelated source material

The ides of MarchRelated source material

Conversations with Thornton WilderRelated source material

The Bridge of San Luis Rey and Other Novels, 1926-1948Related source material

Three Plays: Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, The MatchmakerRelated source material

The Bridge of San Luis Rey: A NovelRelated source material

Our TownRelated source material

Our town: a play in three actsRelated source material

A Thornton Wilder Trio: The Cabala, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, The Woman of AndrosRelated source material

The Collected Short Plays of Thornton Wilder, Volume TRelated source material

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