Home / Quotes / Quote by Christopher Hitchens

Quote by Christopher Hitchens

“Meanwhile the ceaseless requirements of the entertainment industry also threaten to deprive us other forms of critical style and of the means of appreciating them. To be called 'satirical' or 'ironic,' is now to be patronized in a different way. The satirist is the fast-talking cynic, and the ironist merely sarcastic or self-conscious and wised up. When a precious and irreplacable word like 'irony' has become a lazy synonym for 'anomie,' there is scant room for originality.”

Book:Letters to a Young Contrarian

Work

Letters to a Young Contrarian

This book is a compilation of letters written by an experienced writer to a younger audience, focusing on the development of critical thinking skills and fostering a spirit of independent thought. more

Author

Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens was an English-American author, journalist, and social critic. He was known for his sharp wit and controversial views, particularly on religion and politics. Hitchens was a prominent figure in the public discourse of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. more

“In the winter I am writing about, there was much darkness. Darkness of nature, darkness of event, darkness of spirit. The sprawling darkness of not knowing. We speak of the light of reason. I would speak here of the light of ________. But I don't know what to call it. Maybe faith, but not a shaped faith - only, say, a gesture, or a continuum of gestures.”

Hope Struggle Perseverance

Book:Upstream: Selected Essays

Source: Upstream: Selected Essays

“CopyCats are Conformists — both conventional and predictable. They follow traditions and typically do what’s expected of them. Creatives are Contrarians — they’re not rude by default; they just know all traditions were once original; so why not make new ones?”

Conventional Rude Predictable Original Conformist Follow Traditions Copycats Contrarian Creatives

Book:CopyCat: How to Escape Status Quo Thinking and Lead the Field

Source: CopyCat: How to Escape Status Quo Thinking and Lead the Field

“I felt old. Again. It had been happening a lot lately. I did not live the life of an old lady, but I could hear it beckoning to me, like a mermaid on a rock." — Michelle Tea, "Paris: A Lie" from the anthology Pills, Thrills, Chills and Heartache”

Aging Editors Queer Anthology Lgbt Literature First Person Narrative Experimental Clint Catalyst Michelle Tea

Author:Clint Catalyst and MIchelle Tea

“The truth is, I hate not being the first person narrator all the way through! To paraphrase David Copperfield, I don't know whether I'm the hero or the victim of this tale. But either way, shouldn't I dominate it?”