Papyrus Quotes

• The alphabet was one thing when applied to clay or stone, and quite another when set down on light papyrus.

  Marshall McLuhan

  Light, Media, Clay

  Marshall McLuhan (1964). “Understanding media: the extensions of man”

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• Things severed shall be united and shall acquire of themselves such virtue that they shall restore to men their lost memory: - That is the papyrus sheets, which are formed out of several strips and preserve the memory of the thoughts and deeds of men.

  Leonardo da Vinci

  Memories, Men, Deeds

  Leonardo (da Vinci) (1958). “The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci”

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• One of the fascinating things about early writing on slates, on papyrus, even on early handwritten books, is for instance, there were no space between the words. People just wrote in continuous script.

  Nicholas G. Carr

  Book, Writing, Space

  Source: bigthink.com

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• Egypt has managed to reclaim the 13-page papyrus manuscript.

  Zahi Hawass

  Egypt, Pages, Manuscripts

  6 Copy quote

• In the field of Egyptian mathematics Professor Karpinski of the University of Michigan has long insisted that surviving mathematical papyri clearly demonstrate the Egyptians' scientific interest in pure mathematics for its own sake. I have now no doubt that Professor Karpinski is right, for the evidence of interest in pure science, as such, is perfectly conclusive in the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus.

  James Henry Breasted

  Long, Doubt, Michigan

  4 Copy quote

• As though she had entered a fable, as though she were no more than words crawling along a dry page, or as though she were becoming that page itself, that surface on which her story would be written and across which there blew a hot and merciless wind, turning her body to papyrus, her skin to parchment, her soul to paper.

  Salman Rushdie

  Wind, Soul, Skins

  7 Copy quote

• I emphasize the distinction between brackets and no brackets because it will affect your reading experience, if you will allow it. Brackets are exciting. Even though you are approaching Sappho in translation, that is no reason you should miss the drama of trying to read a papyrus torn in half or riddled with holes or smaller than a postage stamp--brackets imply a free space of imaginal adventure.

  Anne Carson

  Drama, Reading, Adventure

  9 Copy quote

• You wrote this right?” he said. “It tells how to defeat Set.” Thoth unfolded the papyrus pages. “Oh, dear. I hate reading my old work. Look at this sentence. I’d never write it that way now.” He patted his lab coat pockets. “Red pen—does anyone have one?” Isis chafed against my willpower, insisting that we blast some sense into Thoth. One fireball, she pleaded. Just one enormous magical fireball? I couldn’t say I was tempted, but I kept her under control. “Since when does drool make you powerful?

  Rick Riordan

  Powerful, Hate, Reading

  Rick Riordan (2010). “The Kane Chronicles, The, Book One: Red Pyramid”, Hyperion

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• There’s nothing here,” Carter said. “What do you want?” I asked. “We’ve got wax, some toilet papyrus, an ugly statue.

  Rick Riordan

  Toilets, Ugly, Want

  Rick Riordan (2010). “The Kane Chronicles, The, Book One: Red Pyramid”, Hyperion

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• Carter pulled out several lengths of brown twine, a small ebony cat statue, and a thick roll of paper. No, not paper. Papyrus. I remember Dad explaining how the Egyptians made it from a river plant because they never invented paper. The stuff was so thick and rough, it made me wonder if the poor Egyptians had had to use toilet papyrus. If so, no wonder they walked sideways.

  Rick Riordan

  Dad, Cat, Rivers

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• Esca tossed the slender papyrus roll onto the cot, and set his own hands over Marcus's. "I have not served the Centurion because I was his slave," he said, dropping unconsciously into the speech of his own people. "I have served Marcus, and it was not slave-service...my stomach will be glad when we start on this hunting trail.

  Rosemary Sutcliff

  Hunting, Hands, People

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