“My books have, in a way, made me a parent. Peter and his friends grow, have fun, problems, fears, and successes, and I’ve been with them through it all. I love these children, and it’s been one of the greatest pleasures of my life to raise them and see them off into the world.”

– children’s author Ezra Jack Keats, born today in 1906; The Snowy Day appeared on the Adventure Theatre stage in January 2012

“It was only a smile, nothing more. It didn’t make everything all right. It didn’t make anything all right. Only a smile. A tiny thing. A leaf in the woods, shaking in the wake of a startled bird’s flight. But I’ll take it. With open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting. — Amir”

– author Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner), born today in 1965

The work of art must seize upon you, wrap you up in itself and carry you away. It is the means by which the artist conveys his passion. It is the current which he puts forth which sweeps you along.

– Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, born today in 1841

The mind is like a richly woven tapestry in which the colors are distilled from the experiences of the senses, and the design drawn from the convolutions of the intellect.

– American novelist Carson McCullers, born today in 1917

“A book is a wonderful present. Though it may grow worn, it will never grow old.”

“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.”

– American writer and editor Jane Yolen, born today in 1939

People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.

– civil rights activist Rosa Parks, born 100 years ago today

When I am in my painting, I am not aware of what I’m doing. It is only after a short “get acquainted” period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.

– American painter Jackson Pollock, born today in 1912

This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it — so long as we seize it together.

– President Barack Obama, January 21, 2013

The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood. The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific, and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. In any cause that concerns the progress of mankind, put your faith in the nonconformist! (1963)

Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation. (1968)

– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It is important to express oneself … provided the feelings are real and are taken from your own experience.

My ambition is limited to capturing something transient.

– Impressionist painter Berthe Morisot, born today in 1841