Mary Pope Osborne Quotes

• Writing is a miracle. You can travel anywhere in the world, to any time and any place — and still be home in time to have dinner.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Time, Travel, Home

  Twitter post from Jan 28, 2018

  53 Copy quote

• I love teaching. It's a job that lasts forever. Whatever you teach children today travels with them far into the future.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Education, Jobs, Children

  Twitter post from Oct 05, 2016

  71 Copy quote

• Reading is the basic springboard for learning. And books provide the liftoff. They are the great equalizer, opening up new worlds to everyone.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Book, Reading, Opening Up

  Twitter post from Jan 19, 2018

  30 Copy quote

• I have to keep facing the darkness. If I stand tall and face the thing I fear, I have a chance to conquer it. If I just keep dodging and hiding it will conquer me.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Darkness, Faces, Chance

  "My Secret War: The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck, Long Island, New York 1941". Book by Mary Pope Osborne, 2000.

  30 Copy quote

• You have to be willing to endure the discomfort, the doubts and unknowing, you somehow find the courage to walk through your doubts and the difficult times because you are living the life you are meant to live.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Live Life, Doubt, Difficult Times

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  20 Copy quote

• When we believe we have all the answers, we are not open to mystery. To begin a mystical journey, you have to start with a sense of wonder, of not knowing where you are going or how you will travel. The initial phase of alchemy is called the nigredo-it's the phase of darkness, when it's "blacker than black." You feel this when you start something new-go off to college, start a new job, travel to a foreign land, or end a relationship that is not working.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Jobs, Believe, Journey

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  22 Copy quote

• There is no water and still less soap. We have no city, but lots of hope.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Cities, Water, Soap

  15 Copy quote

• Then everything was still. Absolutely still.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Stills

  Mary Pope Osborne, Will Osborne (2014). “Magic Tree House Fact & Fiction: Ghosts”, p.83, Random House Books for Young Readers

  16 Copy quote

• I’m one of those very lucky people who absolutely love what they do for a living. There is no career better suited to my eccentricities, strengths, and passions than that of a children’s book author.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Children, Book, Passion

  16 Copy quote

• I think today's young women are an especially powerful breed. They will be taking on even greater challenges, which is why achieving personal empowerment is so important for them. These women are going to be holding positions of significant authority, owning more businesses, and shaping public policy.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Powerful, Thinking, Challenges

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  14 Copy quote

• I believe we're entering a new era, where dynamic female leaders will have an opportunity to bring greater harmony and peace to the planet.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Believe, Opportunity, Leader

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  13 Copy quote

• The historical novel gives us perspective on our modern lives and helps us connect with the story, which we are continuing ourselves.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Historical Novels, Giving, Perspective

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  14 Copy quote

• Artists have to believe in the merit of their own work and persevere whether they receive public recognition or not, but it's ever so nice when someone says, "Job well done"!

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Jobs, Nice, Believe

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  10 Copy quote

• After my husband died more than a decade ago, my mother prayed that I would remarry so that I could have a "normal" life again. Many people assumed that it would be too difficult for me to carry on as a single mother and raise a child without a man at my side. As the years went by, I found that it was indeed possible and that, in fact, I had no desire to remarry.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Mother, Husband, Children

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  12 Copy quote

• When I was contemplating medical school after graduating from Knox, several people suggested that nursing was a more suitable profession for women. My own mother discouraged me from becoming a doctor. But this is not why I became a nurse instead!

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Mother, School, Nursing

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  13 Copy quote

• I think it might be nice if there was a Cosimo de' Medici around today, offering commissions to the poor, but talented artists.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Nice, Artist, Thinking

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  9 Copy quote

• Icons are also beautiful, with their luminous colors and gold leaf. On first glance, the subjects can seem flat, their poses artificial. But the wonder of the icons has to do with the relationship which develops between the panel and the viewer. Looking at an icon brings me a feeling of serenity; it's like a form of prayer. So I suppose in this sense, the icon is unsurpassed.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Beautiful, Prayer, Color

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  11 Copy quote

• set sail on a voyage of your own titanic facts

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Voyages, Facts, Sail

  8 Copy quote

• remember a feeling of excitement, of sudden inspiration, when I was visiting Giovanni Boccaccio's home in the walled village of Certaldo, outside of Florence. (Boccaccio was the medieval author of The Decameron.) It was as though I had met my muse! After this trip, I read The Decameron and began writing the Alchemy Series in earnest.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Inspiration, Home, Writing

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  11 Copy quote

• As far as benefits to reading historical novels, there are several! For one thing, you learn about life in another era. Secondly, these novels help us to develop a deeper understanding of the legacy of women who came before us and the strides made by our ancestors.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Reading, Historical Novels, Understanding

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  8 Copy quote

• It's difficult to choose between these art forms. Iconography is entirely different from the style of the 15th century masters, who were experts in foreshortening and perspective. The technical skill and visual effects of painters like Uccello have to be admired. They achieved a level of artistry that has never been surpassed, in my opinion.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Art, Skills, Perspective

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  8 Copy quote

• As an artist, I identify with Sandro Botticelli. We know him as the man who painted Primavera and The Birth Of Venus. The goddesses and ancient subjects he chose represented virtues which were meant to inspire people. Then he went through a dark phase when he was listening to the sermons of Savonarola, who preached against the worldly pleasures of the Renaissance. But Botticelli's works live on, inspiring people to this day. Five hundred years after his death, he still has thousands of fans!

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Dark, Men, Artist

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  61 Copy quote

• Renaissance man, woman, either way it's a worthy pursuit! Like the painters of Emilia's day, I was raised in an environment that encouraged creative expression. Both my parents were artists, who didn't think much of TV and refused to upgrade our old black and white set. To entertain myself, I made art and wrote puppet shows.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Art, Black And White, Men

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

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• hough I was creative, I also liked math and science. At Knox College, I studied creative writing and earned a degree in chemistry, thinking I would attend medical school. Ultimately, I decided that a career in nursing would allow more time for pursuing other creative interests. While I worked as an RN, I wrote stories inspired by my patients, designed t-shirts, and made hand-painted sandals.

  Mary Pope Osborne

  School, Writing, Math

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  11 Copy quote

• While I was drawn to the Renaissance, my first (unpublished) novels took place in modern times. When the subject of alchemy started creeping into my stories, an astute mentor observed that the bits about alchemy might fit better in another time frame. When I finally decided to weave the pieces about the medieval science into historical settings, a successful novel began to emerge. (And I dusted off that art history book, and put it to use once again.)

  Mary Pope Osborne

  Art, Book, Successful

  Source: www.yabookshelf.com

  11 Copy quote

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