“Poetry has always mattered, through human history, through all kinds of cultures, all kinds of violence and human desolation, as well as periods of great human affirmation. It's been associated with the power of the word, with the sacred, with magic and transformation, with the oral narratives that help a people cohere.” PeopleHumansWellsKindHelpingCultureViolenceMagicPeriodsTransformationSacredAll KindsNarrativeAffirmationHuman HistoryDesolation Author:Adrienne Rich
“Ninety percent of what's wrong with you could be cured with a hot bath, says God from the bowels of the subway. but we want magic, to win the lottery we never bought a ticket for.” WantWinningMagicPercentHotTicketsNinetyBathsSubwayLotteryBowelsHot Baths Author:Mary Karr
“I was a big Magic Johnson fan. And I guess people who knew that gave a name that... In that vein. I tried to play like him.” PeoplePlayBigsMagicFansVeinsJohnsonNicknames Author:Tim Duncan
“I took a complete year off the road, but a big part of that year was making 'The Big Revival.' I needed that down time just so I could concentrate. The one thing that starts it all for us is the music. That's what you create in the studio. That's where the magic happens.” YearsBigsHappensMagicOne ThingNeededStudiosRevivalDown Time Author:Kenny Chesney
“You can think of the Health Impact Fund as a mechanism that would keep the benefits and burdens of pharmaceutical innovation for the affluent roughly as they are while massively reducing the burdens presently imposed upon the poor. This sounds like magic. But it really works because the current system is not Pareto efficient. It's a system that generates hundreds of billions of dollars in litigation costs and deadweight losses that HIF-registered medicines would sidestep. By avoiding these losses, the HIF reform can bring improvements all around - including for pharmaceutical innovators.” ThinkingSoundLossPoorMagicCostBenefitsInnovationImpactDollarsMedicineIncludingCurrentsBurdenBillionsImprovementReformFundMechanismEfficientAvoidingWeight LossReducingInnovatorsAffluentPharmaceutical Author:Thomas Pogge
“Of course, the toxic bullshit of incessant advertising and show biz for nearly a century has stripped us of cognitive abilities for dealing with reality that used to be part of the normal equipment of adulthood - for instance, knowing the difference between wishing for stuff and making stuff happen. We bamboozled ourselves with too much magic.” ShowsRealityHappensUsedCoursesWishStuffDifferencesAbilityKnowingToo MuchMagicCenturyNormalAdvertisingUsed To BeInstanceToxicAdulthoodBullshitEquipmentCognitiveIncessantStuff HappensShow Biz Author:James Howard Kunstler
“We were poor [with my mother], and we didn't have too much. So we sat on the floor and we had a record player, and that's all we had in that room in the apartment. But we had whatever we had. Six records and a record player and it seemed like magic. Seven or eight years old, you know.” KnowsYearsMotherPoorRoomsRecordsToo MuchPlayerMagicSixSevenEightSatApartmentOld YouRecord Players Author:Jon Gordon
“For some reason, my main movie, Lady Sings the Blues, to me really isn't me. I really can let go of Diana Ross when I see the movie. I'm really objective when I'm watching it. I liked that movie so much. That movie was like magic so that when I'm looking at it I'm really not seeing myself, I'm seeing the actress. I'm seeing another person, not the me of me.” PersonsReasonSeeingMagicLetting GoActressesObjectivesDiana Author:Diana Ross
“The guy, Magic Johnson, built a business empire and you don't do that just because you have a pretty smile. The guy is definitely a smart guy, knows what he's doing. He's a basketball genius. So to downplay that and disrespect that, I thought it was stereotyping him way too much.” KnowsWayGuyToo MuchMagicGeniusBasketballSmartBuiltEmpiresStereotypeJohnsonDisrespectSmart Guy Author:Mychal Thompson
“Professional wrestling has moved so far to the athleticism side and people are overly indulging in the stunt monkeys, but that's why there are so many injuries all the time. You need to break open your soul, break open your mind, and remember that pro wrestling is magic.” PeopleNeedsMindSoulRememberSidesBreakMagicMovedYour SoulInjuryWrestlingMonkeysPro WrestlingAthleticismProfessional Wrestling Author:Matt Hardy
“I don't do all the background and the worldbuilding before I start the story. What I do is I work out the bare minimum I need to start the story, and often that really is a bare minimum - it's a character in a situation, and I know nothing about the character, I know nothing about the situation, and then I think about it for a long time, and make notes about where I think the story is going to go and so on, but I don't really make notes to do with the background or the magic system or the world.” ThinkingKnowsWorldNeedsLongCharacterStoriesSituationMagicLong TimeNotesWork OutBackgroundsMinimum Author:Garth Nix
“We are going to die, as is everyone we adore - I hate this! But the question is, how do we live as women and men in the face of this? Why do we let ourselves be so distracted and obsessed by meaningless B.S. in light of having one short, precious life? When are we going to wake up and be fully alive to each other and nature and magic and wonder and Life with a capital L? When will we stop hitting the snooze button? And then, how alive are we willing to be?” MenLightFacesHateDiesWonderAliveMagicWillingMen And WomenI HateWake UpObsessedMeaninglessHittingButtonsAdoreDistractedPrecious LifeSnooze Button Author:Anne Lamott
“LSD is really just a small chemical modification of a very old sacred drug of Mexico. LSD belongs, therefore, by its chemical structure and by its activity, in the group of the magic plants of Mesoamerica. It does not occur in nature as such, but it represents just a small chemical variation of natural material.” DoeNaturalMagicGroupsMaterialsDrugActivitySacredStructurePlantChemicalsMexicoVariationLsdModificationNatural Materials Author:Albert Hofmann
“Writing, even though it's hard work, is really a joy when you get these characters to come alive. It's hard to trace where they come from. I can't say that I am sitting here one night at nine o'clock and that a character occurs to me. The magic for me happens at the typewriter.” WritingI CanHardCharacterHappensJoyNightAliveMagicHard WorkSittingNineClockOne NightTypewriters Author:Robert Cormier
“The magic of comics is that there are three people involved in any comic. There's whoever's writing it and whoever's drawing it. And then there's whoever's reading it because they are creating the movement. They are creating the illusion of time passing.” PeopleWritingThreeReadingMagicMovementInvolvedCreatingIllusionDrawingPassingPassingsComicTime PassingTime PassesIllusion Of Time Author:Neil Gaiman
“Music is magic. Music does s**t that money could never do. Music unites nations and stops wars.” DoeWarNationsMagicMusic IsStop War Author:Sean Garrett
“I think there's a gradient that goes from science to art and magic is the middle ground. I think that we're all trying to understand and define the world around us but often it's experimental.” ThinkingWorldTryingArtMagicMiddleMiddle Ground Author:Vik Muniz
“You see so many beautiful things happening in this world, and you see so many things that make you want to cry and crawl under a rock. But there's an underlying feeling of magic and mystery in everything that I live for. I feel like all of my art is trying to get people to see that underlying, subtle energy that lives within everything that we see and what we don't see in this world.” PeopleWorldWantFeelsTryingArtFeelingsBeautifulEnergyMagicMysteryRocksCryThis WorldHappeningsArt IsThings HappenSubtleBeautiful Things Author:Willow Smith
“Oh, I think, watching Magic, him being one of my... I'm one of his biggest fans, and just trying to emulate what he did, going out on the playground, and also playing with older guys.” ThinkingTryingGuySportsMagicFansGoing OutEmulatePlaygroundsBiggest FanOlder Guys Author:Jason Kidd
“One has to be cautious and respectful of the power of the "substance" guides. I don't advocate imbibing the "little saint children," as Maria Sabina calls the magic mushrooms, or anything else for everyone. I find that certain substances reconnect me to a primal context of purpose that goes beyond identity and ownership. The writing-when I've worked it this way-is the kind of information you take back from dreams. Or it's hypnotic writing rather than getting off on some sort of pleasure trip or intellectual trip.” WayWritingKindChildrenLittlesDreamPurposeCertainPleasureMagicInformationIdentityIntellectualSaintGuidesSubstanceOwnershipRespectfulCautiousPrimalMushroomsBe CautiousHypnoticImbibing Author:Anne Waldman
“Alistair Crowley used to define magic as anything in which you can exercise your will in the world through the use of your mind. So what's the magical way of opening or closing that door? Well, to will your body to stand up and close or open that door, that's magic. With the iPhone, it's like you put your intent into it, and it helps you exercise that intent in the world.” WorldWayMindWellsHelpingUseBodyUsedDoorsMagicLike YouExerciseYour BodyOpeningClosingIphone Author:Jason Silva
“If you make a film, that magic is not there, because you were there while shooting it. After writing a film and shooting it and being in the editing room every day, you can never see it clearly. I think other people's perception of your film is more valid than your own, because they have that ability to see it for the first time.” PeopleIfsThinkingWritingFirstsFilmAbilityRoomsMagicPerceptionFirst TimeShootingEditingAbility To See Author:Jim Jarmusch
“The beauty of a movie is that you walk in, you don't know anything about it, you enter a world that's new to you, and that's the magic of being transported.” KnowsWorldWalksMagic Author:Jim Jarmusch
“You find there's no magic trick, sometimes in the shower, sometimes you're just lying in bed calm, sometimes you're just enjoying life and just have a notepad, it's never far away. Always have a notepad on you, because you never know what's going to happen, take a moment and write it down the minute that comes in your head. Even if you can't deal with it until later, I've had that experience where I was in a wedding party and I'm on stage, I'm like, "I hope I don't forget this, something just occurred to me."” WritingSometimesMomentsLyingEnjoyForgetPartyMagicCalmFar AwayEnjoy Life Author:Brian Michael Bendis
“There's no secrets or magic tricks to being successful in life. It's plain and simple. Work harder than everyone else and the only way to do that is to do it. It may sound silly but it's the truth and there aint nothing to it but to do it!” SimpleSecretSuccessfulMagicHard WorkSillyBeing SuccessfulWork Harder Author:Ronnie Coleman
“You should have fun when you're acting. That's when magic happens.” FunActingMagicHaving Fun Author:Don Coscarelli
“I'm surprised at some technological development, and the realization that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. I think the CD-ROM is the best example of that. The idea of having a whole symphony, or opera, or novel in a little piece of plastic is pretty amazing.” ThinkingTechnologyNovelMagicRealizationTechnological Author:Arthur C. Clarke
“Black Girl Magic is a radiant revolution against misogynoir - misogyny directed towards Black women and internalized hatred. Black women are subject to so many societal messages that tell them they are not beautiful, smart, or capable. Black Girl Magic is the conscious unraveling of those toxic concepts through self-love and acceptance. It preaches that despite the pressures I face, I glow more than ever before.” BeautifulGirlBlackMagicAcceptanceRevolutionCapableSmartConsciousHatredMisogynyBlack WomenBlack Girl Author:Amandla Stenberg
“This artistic uprising we had the other night in Washington Square park: there was poetry, there was dance, there was song, there was spoken word; and people left feeling so inspired and so energised. We have to get ourselves out of this syndrome of trauma and being re-traumatised. Art releases this energy. It exposes us to wonder again, and magic again, and ambiguity - all the things we need to really keep going and fighting and resisting in these times.” PeopleArtFeelingsNightSongFightingEnergyWonderMagicInspiredTraumaArtisticKeep GoingAmbiguitySpoken Word Author:Eve Ensler
“When I go to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, they have wonderful topiary in the shapes of characters. I apply the principle to my life. "Prune away that which is not a Disney princess!" I think Michelangelo said that.” ThinkingWorldCharacterWonderfulMagicPrincessWalt Author:Sara Benincasa
“Generally I try to be on set as much as possible, especially during the early part of a season. I read all of the outlines and scripts and look at the auditions and the cuts for my other shows and give notes on all of that. There's a lot to do, but I enjoy nothing more than being on set because that's where the magic happens.” GivingTryingEnjoyCuttingMagic Author:Gale Anne Hurd
“I think I'm still fed by my childhood experience of reading, even though obviously I'm reading many books now and a lot of them are books for children but I feel like childhood reading is this magic window and there's something that you sort of carry for the rest of your life when a book has really changed you as a kid, or affected you, or even made you recognize something about yourself.” ThinkingChildrenBookKidsReadingMagicChildhoodChangedWindowAbout Yourself Author:Rebecca Stead
“If the play works in an emotional and engaging way purely from what's on the page, then what's on the stage will be the icing on the cake. If the play didn't work as a play on its own terms, none of the magic, none of the special effects or theatricality of it all, would add up to anything.” TermMagicSpecialEmotional Author:Colin Callender
“The notion that the staging of the play Harry Potter should be raw magic and street theater rather than high-tech theater, was essential.” MagicHarry Potter Author:Colin Callender
“Especially when you're faced with hard times, you need to remember that life is either tragedy or comedy. For me, that's what the magic is. Life has remarkable, surprising moments that get you through the hard times.” MomentsRememberComedyMagicTragedyHard TimesRemarkable Author:Katherine Applegate
“What I learned about acting, from my experiences directing, is why so many producers and directors don't like actors. You go through all of this work securing a location, figuring out how to get electricity there, how to get trucks parked where they need to be, and where catering is going to come from. And if the actors don't come up with some magic, it actually didn't matter. That creates a lot of animosity towards the actors.” ActingMagicProducersElectricityTruckAnimosityCatering Author:Ethan Hawke
“Curiosity is a key building block. The more curious you are, the more creativity you will unleash. A great way to do that is to ask the three "magic questions" again and again... those questions are simply, "Why", "What if?", and "Why not?". Asking these questions constantly focused you on the possibilities and away from how things are at the moment.” MomentsCreativityMagicPossibilityBuildingCuriosityFocusedBlockCuriousWhat If Author:Josh Linkner
“I am super lucky. I've been in the area where things have been changing and been part of the digital revolution, the magic of software, the internet, the computer, and now the cellphone... so it's been a great privilege.” MagicRevolutionInternetLuckyComputerSoftware Author:Bill Gates
“Part of the magic of economic growth is how you educate people, and the leading economies have to stay in front of that. From an economic point of view, it affects competitiveness and creates jobs. Or from a social justice point of view, you can take someone in the bottom tier of income and let him compete to be a doctor or lawyer. The education system is the only reason the dream of equal opportunity has a chance of being delivered - and we're not running a good education system.” PeopleReasonDreamRunningOpportunityGrowthJusticeChanceEconomyMagicEconomicEqualSocial JusticeBottomPoint Of ViewLawyerEducateEconomic GrowthEducation SystemEqual OpportunityCompetitivenessGood Education Author:Bill Gates
“Millennials think Maxine Waters is God-sent. She's an oracle! She holds the magic truths. She's one of the few Democrats willing to say what she says, and these young Millennials are just glomming onto her like you can't believe. It's one of the most amazing social science experiments to look at this happen.” ThinkingBelieveWaterMagicLike YouDemocratMost AmazingSocial Science Author:Rush Limbaugh
“There are people who try to figure things out. Often, magic is presented in a way that sets up a challenge that I actually find kind of appalling. You know, "I'm clever, I can do something, and you don't know what it is." And that instills in the audience the idea that, "Yes, I do. You're not that clever."” PeopleTryingKindChallengesAudienceMagicClever Author:Ricky Jay
“I think people forget that when people lose Medicaid coverage, they still show up at the hospital when they have a chronic illness or a traumatic impact on their health. And those bills are paid by the hospital who then passes those costs on. They do not have a magic fairy paying the bills for people who show up without insurance. Those bills are passed on to all the people in our country that do have insurance. That's why this bill is not going to break the cycle of higher premiums - because we're going to have fewer people insured.” PeopleThinkingCountryForgetBreakMagicIllnessFairy Author:Claire McCaskill
“I really loved working on comedy. Most of my roles have been very dramatic and involved lots of emotional work and crying on cue. I do really enjoy those roles because you really feel accomplished at the end of the day but they are very emotionally draining! Working on a comedy show is just fun and at the end everyone is laughing! But I am open to all roles and genres just being on a set and being a part of the magic is what I love most!” FunEnjoyLaughingComedyMagicCryEmotionalDramaticAccomplished Author:Chloe Noelle
“I'm not interested in the being the next indie hipster scene or in how skinny my jeans can be. That's not my thing. I'm interested in arenas. That was the magic of the music I grew up listening to. Being a rocknroll front man is all I've ever wanted since I was 10 years old. I give it everything I have.” MenGivingMagicListeningSceneNot InterestedHipster Author:Matthew Mayfield
“I always try to be ironistic in everything I do. I love people who understand humor and who live through humor. So, of course, I was not too serious covering such things as Motörhead or "Black Magic Woman" by Santana. But I was serious enough about Led Zeppelin and the Celtic song "Wild Mountain Thyme." In my life, serious and humor are always together.” PeopleTryingEnoughTogetherSongBlackMagicSeriousMountainBlack Magic Author:Albert Kuvezin
“Education isn't a magic pill. There is no magic pill. But the closest we have is practical expertise and relentless drive.” MagicRelentlessExpertise Author:Marty Nemko
“I did the original Robotron game back in 1982. To me it's still one of the classic 2D games as far as action and decisions per second, and kills per second, and explosions per second. It's super-frenetic and totally involving. There's been a lot of games since, a lot of Robotron sequels. A lot of them haven't even captured the magic of Robotron, much less moving things forward.” ActionMovingDecisionMagicClassic Author:Eugene Jarvis
“The Armstrong record that I personally like the most, is a recording of a song by Harold Arlen called, "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues" . Most of Armstrong's solos tended to stick pretty close to the melody. But for some reason, it's like he let go of the tether and suddenly he's playing this beautiful high, almost abstract line that's floating above the beat. I compare it to the way that a 19th century operatic tenor might have sang an Aria because he's just completely let loose of the background and he's making this magic sort of flying above the staff.” ReasonBeautifulSongMagicLetting GoFlyingCompareAbstractMelody19th Century Author:Terry Teachout
“I have to believe in the possibility of peace, because the alternative is to accept the inevitability of continual war, and of always living in fear. It doesn't have to be that way. However, there are no simple solutions, and I am not the possessor of a magic formula for peace. All I can say is that for peace to succeed it requires perseverance, patience, humility, compromise, and commitment, from all parties.” BelieveWarSimplePartyAcceptingMagicPossibilityHumilitySucceedSolutionsCommitmentPerseveranceCompromiseInevitability Author:Oscar Arias
“I always feel so proud of the things that I was most scared to do, and they usually end up being the right decision. It becomes magic. It's scary, but I always say, when you're scared to do something, you should probably do it.” DecisionMagicProudScaredScaryRight Decision Author:Julianne Hough