Brooks Atkinson

“The basic truth is that the hero is a person who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.”

“Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.”

“The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills anybody who has one.”

“A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car.”

“It is a critic's privilege to sleep through portions of a play, provided he doesn't snore.”

“In every age 'the good old days' were a myth. No one ever thought they were good at the time. For every age has consisted of crises that seemed intolerable to the people who lived through them.”

“Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit.”

“The ideal of a college is an institution that has a moral character.”