Home / Quotes / Quote by Quentin Crisp

Quote by Quentin Crisp

“Central Europe is full of little countries standing shoulder to shoulder with no window to the sea. They are like the passengers in a rush-hour train which has stopped between stations for three centuries. And they all hate one another. And they're all crushed together waving their national flags, clanking their national chains, jabbering their national language.”

Author

Quentin Crisp

Quentin Crisp (December 25, 1908 – November 21, 1999) was an English writer, actor, and social commentator, best known for his flamboyant style and open homosexuality during a time of widespread prejudice. Born Denis Charles Pratt in Sutton, London, he later adopted the name Quentin Crisp. His 1968 autobiography, 'The Naked Civil Servant,' chronicled his life as an openly gay man in conservative Britain, and was adapted into a critically acclaimed TV film starring John Hurt. Crisp also wrote 'How to Have a Style' and 'Manners from Heaven,' and appeared in films like 'Orlando' and 'The Bride.' He moved to New York in the 1980s, becoming a cultural icon known for his wit and advocacy of individuality. He died in Manchester at age 90. more

“The United States are a miracle: the division between two states is sometimes a river or a mountain, and sometimes it's a straight line. But nobody says, "That tree really belongs in South Carolina. I shan't do anything about it now, I'll get it back later." I shall go after I am here to London and after that to Potsdam, where Comrade Stalin, Mr Churchill and Harry Truman divided up Europe; and what we see now is the result of that. The Americans would have accepted it. But Europeans don't accept anything.”