Thursday, 26 June 2014

Pearl S. Buck: 12 memorable quotes on her birthday


Pearl S. Buck: 12 memorable quotes on her birthday

American author Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1932 for her novel "The Good Earth," the first book of a trilogy about the Chinese family Wang. The trilogy remained on the American bestseller list for many years. Born in West Virginia, Pearl grew up in China where her parents served as missionaries. Although she received her college education in the United States, Pearl returned to China and lived there until 1934. During her time in China, Pearl taught English Literature at several Chinese universities. Pearl began writing in her twenties and published her first novel, "East Wind, West Wind," in 1930. A prolific writer, she wrote over 100 novels, short stories, and children’s books during her lifetime. In 1938 she received the Nobel Prize in Literature for the humanitarian elements in her work. Pearl's strong commitment to humanitarian causes such as women’s rights, immigration, adoption, missionary work, and war is reflected in much of her writing. In fact, before her death Pearl established the Welcome House, Inc., the first agency set up to facilitate the adoption of bi-racial children, mainly Asian-Americans.

1. The impossible
"All things are possible until they are proved impossible - and even the impossible may only be so, as of now."

2. Marriage
"Nothing in life is as good as the marriage of true minds between man and woman. As good? It is life itself."

3. Poverty
"Hunger makes a thief of any man."

4. Today
"If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday."

5. Idealism
"Life without idealism is empty indeed. We just hope or starve to death."

6. Growth
"Love dies only when growth stops."

7. Beauty
"Order is the shape upon which beauty depends."

8. Society
"Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members."

9. Solitude
"The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration."

10. Service
"To serve is beautiful, but only if it is done with joy and a whole heart and a free mind."

11. Age
"You can judge your age by the amount of pain you feel when you come in contact with a new idea."

12. Feelings
"You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings."



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