Monday, February 11, 2013

Two appealing quotes from my magazine reading on Onetangi Beach

From the February issue of North & South in a story on "The civilising power of reading for pleasure" by Margo White:

"A good novel allows us to spend time with people we like or at least who interest us. If we tire of them, we can drop them without any fuss. It also allows us to keep the company of people we would never want to meet in real life, from a safe distance".

And from The Listener, February 16-22, in an interview with Damien Wilkins who this year replaces Professor Bill Manhire as director of Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters:

Question - Speaking of Bill, does it concern you that you've got big shoes to fill?

Answer -  "Well, he's irreplaceable. I think what Bill's done for the Institute of Modern Letters, and the culture. I don't quite know what the future is going to be like exactly, but it will be very strange without him there. It will be a bit like when Alex Ferguson finally leaves Manchester United - there will be people weeping in the stands.

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