Odd and Unpredictable

Bruce Dickinson is one of the most fascinating people in the world. He is most famous for being the long time lead singer of Iron Maiden, one of the best heavy metal bands of all time. However, in addition to that, Dickinson is also an author and a pilot, eventually flying the band around the world on their tours on their plane, Ed Force One. He is also a world-class fencer! His wide-ranging intellectual interests can be seen in the songs he has written over years. For instance, Alexander the Great is a great history lesson and Rime of the Ancient Mariner a great homage to Coleridge’s epic poem of the same name. Hell, I was first introduced to the novel Dune because of Maiden’s tune To Tame A Land.

The quote below is from his memoir What Does This Button Do? I saved it because I thought it was a great sounding sentence. I also saved it because I manages to convey a complex reality, very neatly.

A Great, Idea-Rich Sentence by Ralph Waldo Emerson

I read some Emerson in college, but nothing since. I came across this great sentence reading Mark Edmundson’s book Why Write? I appreciate Emerson’s message that we must tune out the noise to see reality clearly. I also agree that as independent thinkers, we must be willing to earn reproach from others. Our own truth is not a popularity contest. Finally, I agree with the notion that the ultimate reward for seeing clearly is our own satisfaction, not something external such a public recognition. Our time, like Emerson’s, rewards conformity. Thinking independently is challenging, yet worth the struggle.

A Beautiful Sentence by William Zinsser

William Zinsser is famous for his excellent book on writing called On Writing Well. Recently I finished his memoir titled Writing Places, which I enjoyed. The sentence below struck me both because I find it beautiful to my ear and because I am familiar with Connecticut and Long Island Sound, where my wife grew up and to where we will be returning soon for a visit.

A Great Sentence From Tom Robbins

The late, great Tom Robbins is the author of many great sentences. If you have never read one of his novels, I recommend trying one. His writing is unique, to say the least. This one is from his memoir Tibetan Peach Pie. He is describing his experience with a particular fungi that is found in the wet woods of the Pacific Northwest. Nailed it.

Dandelions

Instead of a simple, beautiful sentence, today I want to share a small beautiful paragraph. This is from a book published this year by Suleika Jaouad, titled The Book of Alchemy. It’s a collection of short pieces in which creative people explore different aspects of the creative process. What struck me about the quote is how it connects an experience we all know — the disintegration of a dandelion cluster — with the inevitable changes we face in our lives. The wind is going to blow — but where will it take our ideas and our dreams? And how will our actions land?

A Beautiful Sentence Written by Zora Neale Hurston

Sarah Bakewell’s excellent book Humanly Possible is a great history of humanism. It is a history book, but it also is a book about a philosophy. Zora Neale Hurston was a writer I was first introduced to in college, when I was assigned her book Their Eyes Were Watching God. Little did I know at the time that Hurston was a free-thinker, which is why this quote showed up in Bakewell’s book. I thought it was both a beautiful sentence and a beautiful sentiment as soon as I read it. No need to make things up when reality is amazing enough.

A Great Way to Start a Book

I often come across sentences that I really like. This is going to be a recurring post-theme moving forward. This first selection isn’t beautifully written, but it is a great way to start a book, especially a self-help/pop-psychology book.