Clifton Fadiman
Clifton Fadiman (May 15, 1904- June 20, 1999) was a noted intellectual, author, radio and television personality and nephew of the renowned genius William James Sidis. Clifton Fadiman was never know as "Cliff". In fact he had a particular dislike for the shortened reference to an otherwise name of distinction. His family and close friends did refer to him as "Kip". This somewhat odd nickname was actually given to him by his mother, when Clifton suffered a prolonged bout of the Hiccups at the age of three.
10 Quotes
To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry on its dull wall-existence by the arbitrary timetables we have drawn up in consultation with those permanent commuters, Earth and Sun. But we, unlike trees, need grow no annual rings.
— Clifton Fadiman
When you reread a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there was before.
— Clifton Fadiman
A cheese may disappoint. It may be dull, it may be naive, it may be oversophisticated. Yet it remains cheese, milk's leap toward immortality.
— Clifton Fadiman
A good memory is one trained to forget the trivial.
— Clifton Fadiman
I think we must quote whenever we feel that the allusion is interesting or helpful or amusing.
— Clifton Fadiman
The adjective is the banana peel of the parts of speech.
— Clifton Fadiman
For most men life is a search for the proper manila envelope in which to get themselves filed.
— Clifton Fadiman
Mr. Faulkner, of course, is interested in making your mind rather than your flesh creep.
— Clifton Fadiman
There are two kinds of writers; the great ones who can give you truths, and the lessor ones, who can only give you themselves.
— Clifton Fadiman
To take wine into our mouths is to savor a droplet of the river of human history.
— Clifton Fadiman