Donald Spoto Quotes

Avoid theatrical flourishes - the phrases that sound so damned good that they stand up and beg to be recognized as "good writing," and therefore must be struck from the text. ~ Donald Spoto

However we assess the relief of the siege of Orleans and the subsequent successes in the Loire Valley, the military proficiency of the French shocked the English to the point that French victory now seemed almost inevitable. If the English had learned that the French had new materiel or a brilliant new commander, they might have been able to devise counter procedures. But they had underestimated everything, from the loyalty evoked by Joan's leadership at Orleans to the fresh resolve of the men who knew her. In a way she also stood for something like a principle of minimal violence, for although she was always exposed to injury and indeed sustained serious wounds, she never personally harmed an enemy solider. The events of the late spring and early summer of 1929 engendered a new collective spirit among the French. ~ Donald Spoto

In the Christian tradition, for example, the only model for faith is Jesus of Nazareth. His proclamation, one observes in the New Testament, was not particularly religious: he spoke of God, certainly, but only in relation to ordinary human life with its quotidian struggle and suffering. Nor did he speak or preach in especially religious or secretarian terms; in fact, it maybe be said that Jesus came to set the world free from enslavement to and obsession with mere (humanly made) religion. "He went about doing good" is the biblical summary of his life and mission, and no words are more moving or provocative. ~ Donald Spoto

When we renounce our fear of life and give up trying to have it under our control - that is, when we acknowledge our contingency and utter dependence on God - then God comes to us and turns us toward Himself. ~ Donald Spoto

But there is probably nothing in the world as determined as a child with a dream ~ Donald Spoto

Centuries later, it is often presumed that such a pious tone and environment would create boredom, cynicism, and even open rebellion among any militia. But in an era when faith was a fact of life, prayer was ubiquitous, ritual respected, and the presence of clergymen taken seriously, the result was a fresh discipline and respect - even a chivalric courtliness - among many of the troops. Joan herself was so obviously and sincerely devout that the major captains of her met-at-arms and crossbowmen were more than impressed: they followed her example as best they could. ~ Donald Spoto

Suspense is like a woman. The more left to the imagination, the more the excitement. ... The conventional big-bosomed blonde is not mysterious. And what could be more obvious than the old black velvet and pearls type? The perfect 'woman of mystery' is one who is blonde, subtle and Nordic. ... Although I do not profess to be an authority on women, I fear that the perfect title [for a movie], like the perfect woman is difficult to find. ~ Alfred Hitchcock

The idea of Christian perfection, which began in the ancient monasteries and spread to the world as an ideal, is one of the most appealing, demanding and ultimately hopeless notions of the spiritual life. By definition, only God is perfect - that is, complete and independent unto [God's] self. Humans, on the other hand, are radically imperfect, and that, paradoxically, is welcome news, for the recognition of our incompleteness throws us on the mercy of God and enables us, as Saint Paul stressed, to put up with one another's faults. ~ Donald Spoto

What Joan impressed on the men by her faith and her actions, then, had more to do with the things of God that the machinery of war or prevailing politics. For her the struggle against English occupation and the eventual permanent establishment of French sovereignty were matters of justice, and justice was regarded as a major virtue in the Middle Ages. From justice came the origins of chivalry, which was about much more than mere courtesy: it concerned the order of a sovereign society and its place in the economy of God's plan for the world. ~ Donald Spoto

And what of Joan's presence among so many young, armed men? Perhaps of all the nobles and military men, the Duke of Alencon - that dedicated, courageous and skillful commander - may be trusted most. Although he was a man who had a keen eye for attractive and available women, he too recognized a rare quality of sincere devotion that deflected any tendency to make sexual overtures. 'Sometimes I lay down to sleep with Joan and the soldiers,' Alencon recalled. 'We were all in the straw together, and sometimes I saw Joan prepare for the night. Sometimes too I looked at her breasts, which were beautiful. And yet I never had any carnal desire for her. ~ Donald Spoto

They may not use the word better. But they certainly believe that they'll go to heaven and Jews will not. ~ Neale Donald Walsch

I have always felt that I understood a phenomenon only to the extent that I could visualise it. Much of the charm organic chemical research has for me derives from structural formulae. When reading chemical journals, I look for formulae first. ~ Donald Cram

A day is a day. It's just a measurement of time. Whether it's a good day or a bad day is up to you. It's all a matter of perception. ~ Donald L. Hicks

I lay there under the stars and thought of what a great responsibility it is to be human. ~ Donald Miller

Scott Walker's campaign slogan is 'Reform. Growth. Safety.' Which is actually similar to Donald Trump's new slogan: 'Mexico. Money. Crazy.' ~ Jimmy Fallon

In New York, you've got Donald Trump, Woody Allen, a crack addict and a regular Joe, and they're all on the same subway car. ~ Ethan Hawke

I should have people around bugging me and getting under my skin because without people I could not grow - I could not grow in God, and I could not grow as a human. ~ Donald Miller

The risk of being known is also the decision to be criticized by some. ~ Donald Miller

As we have seen after every other [Donald] Trump controversy, this one only increased their enthusiasm for him. His supporters thought the idea of a temporary halt in Muslims coming to the U.S. was a common sense proposal in a time of great fear about terrorism. ~ Steve Inskeep

Today, possible presidential candidate Donald Trump released his birth certificate. It lists his eyes as blue and his hair as ridiculous. ~ Conan O'Brien

I get great satisfaction from both business and philanthropy. ~ Donald Bren

I am not supporting Donald Trump. I think he does this country such a disservice. And I'm gonna leave it there. ~ Nia Long

Donald Trump very confident in his standing with his supporters and one who could do and say anything and have it not affect him. It's like he's the ultimate Teflon candidate if he feels like he can say things like that at a rally. ~ Don Gonyea

FEAR is an acronym in the English language for 'False Evidence Appearing Real'. ~ Neale Donald Walsch

You know, even though I feel that I can still play the game, God has made the answer clear to me. Retirement is now. I have to retire as a Green Bay Packer. ~ Donald Driver

I expect my immortality will last about six seconds after my funeral. ~ Donald Hall

REMOVE THE LOUDHAILER ! If the Democrats really want to beat Donald Trump, how about getting some of their wealthy backers to buy up or take down Twitter ? The Twit-in-Chief without Twitter is nothing - a songbird without a song. No self-respecting news organisation would stoop to plug the gap. All that would be left is a pretentious peacock eunuch strutting around aimlessly with no fawning admirers. Desperate times call for desperate measures. ~ Alex Morritt

When I was a child, I loved old people. My New Hampshire grandfather was my model human being. ~ Donald Hall

We crave, we deeply yearn for, release from the limitations of a dogma that declares separation, disunity, and judgment to be the essential condition of life. ~ Neale Donald Walsch

The reason we come away so cold from reading the word is because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation. ~ Donald S. Whitney

After all, the work isn't the point; the piece is. ~ Donald Judd

It's not a question of whether a person's been inspired by God, the only question is, has that person realized it, or not? ~ Donald L. Hicks

Know that the amount of criticism you receive may correlate somewhat to the amount of publicity you receive. ~ Donald Rumsfeld

Have you ever noticed?
people, no matter how beautiful or desirable, invariably will, if observed closely while going about their daily business of keeping alive, begin to seem like monsters. ~ Donald Antrim

I talk about jobs, I talk about our veterans being mistreated. ~ Donald Trump

It's not what people do that scares me. It's what they hide. It's the secrets that keep us from bonding and create distrust. If we were more willing to accept each other's depravity we'd be more united, we'd be more honest. If you hide two things from me, I'll assume you're hiding a million. And I'll keep you at a distance. I'm not afraid of the evil in you. It's in me too. ~ Donald Miller

The dead-enders are still with us, those remnants of the defeated regimes who'll go on fighting long after their cause is lost. ~ Donald Rumsfeld

The reality is this, though: a healthy person coupled with an unhealthy person will still result in an unhealthy relationship. ~ Donald Miller

The Roman Catholics teach that unless you're a Roman Catholic you do not go to heaven. ~ Neale Donald Walsch

Negative feelings are not true feelings at all; rather, they are your thoughts about something, based always on the previous experience of yourself and others. You will not find Truth in your past data, only past data that is based on other past data that is based on other past data, and so forth. Forget your "past experience" and look directly at the experience you are having. Right Here, Right Now. There is your Truth. ~ Neale Donald Walsch

Critics say it's illegal for Donald Trump to run for president while hosting a TV show. It's also illegal to run for president if your hair wasn't born in this country. ~ Conan O'Brien

Nothing has done more to separate and divide human beings one from another than exclusivist organized religion. ~ Neale Donald Walsch