Home / Authors / Thornton Wilder

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.

Filter quotes by topic

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

“There are the stars--doing their old, old crisscross journeys in the sky. Scholars haven't settled the matter yet, but they seem to think there are no living beings out there. Just chalk... or fire. Only this one is straining away, straining away all the time to make something of itself. Strain's so bad that every sixteen hours everybody lies down and gets a rest.”

Thinking Matter Seems Lying Stars Hours Fire Journey Sky Havens Down And Scholar Strain Sixteen Chalk Our Town Everybody Lies

Book:Thornton Wilder: Collected Plays & Writings on Theater

Source: Thornton Wilder: Collected Plays & Writings on Theater

“Being employed is like being loved: you know that somebody's thinking about you the whole time.”

Thinking Knows Whole Employed Being Loved Thinking About You

Book:Thornton Wilder: Collected Plays & Writings on Theater

Source: Thornton Wilder: Collected Plays & Writings on Theater

“I not only bow to the inevitable; I am fortified by it.”

Thinking Hope Fear Attitude Positive Thinking Inevitable Positive Attitude Bows

Book:The ides of March

Source: The ides of March

“Marriage is a bribe to make a housekeeper think she's a householder.”

Thinking Funny Marriage Bribe Bribery Housekeepers

Author:Thornton Wilder

“When you're at war, you think about a better life; when you're at peace you think about a more comfortable one.”

Thinking War Peace Comfortable Anti War Better Life No War

Author:Thornton Wilder

“I think I write in order to discover on my shelf a new book that I would enjoy reading, or to see a new play that would engross me.”

Thinking Writing Book Play Order Reading Enjoy Shelves New Books

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

Similar Authors

Gary JarmanBrowse related quotes
Johann Wolfgang von GoetheBrowse related quotes
George Bernard ShawBrowse related quotes
Soren KierkegaardBrowse related quotes
Anais NinBrowse related quotes
Leo TolstoyBrowse related quotes
Paulo CoelhoBrowse related quotes
Robert Christopher RileyBrowse related quotes
Mehmet Murat IldanBrowse related quotes
Michael JacksonBrowse related quotes