Ellen Klages > Quotes

“She still had all of her marbles, though every one of them was a bit odd and rolled asymmetrically.”
― Ellen Klages, Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction and Fantasy

“Music is the hidden arithmetic of the soul, which does not know that it deals with numbers. (Paraphrasing Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz)”
― Ellen Klages, The Green Glass Sea

“At least once a week, Dinsy was amused by the indignant sputtering of someone who had just spooned dill weed, not sugar, into a cup of Earl Grey tea.”
― Ellen Klages

“Time has become quiet flexible inside the library. (This is true of most places with interesting books. Sit down to read for twenty minutes, and suddenly it's dark, with no clue as to where the hours have gone.)”
― Ellen Klages

“This is overdue. Quite a bit, I'm afraid. I apologize. We moved to Topeka when I was very small, and Mother accidentally packed it up with the linens. I have traveled a long way to return it, and I know the fine must be large, but I have no money. As it is a book of fairy tales, I thought payment of a first-born child would be acceptable. I always loved the library. I'm sure she'll be happy there.”
― Ellen Klages, Uncanny Magazine Issue 3: March/April 2015

“She thought for a minute about going back, but decided that maybe being wet on a sort-of adventure was better than being dry and bored for sure.”
― Ellen Klages, Portable Childhoods

“She still had all of her marbles, though every one of them was a bit odd and rolled asymmetrically. She”
― Ellen Klages, In the House of the Seven Librarians

“Crayola crayons, in the familiar yellow-and-green box, labeled LIBRARY PACK. Inside were the colors of Dinsy’s world: Reference Maroon, Brown Leather, Peplum Beige, Reader’s Guide Green, World Book Red, Card Catalog Cream, Date Stamp Purple, and Palatino Black.”
― Ellen Klages, In the House of the Seven Librarians

“We told them I was home-schooled, raised by feral librarians.”
― Ellen Klages, In the House of the Seven Librarians

“All this talk about what a marvelous future science'll bring us? Art can change things just as much.' She stubbed out her cigarette. 'Maybe better.'

'Why's that?'

'Art doesn't kill anyone.”
― Ellen Klages, White Sands, Red Menace

“No one knew how old she was, but she vaguely remembered waving to President Coolidge. She still had all of her marbles, though every one of them was a bit odd and rolled asymmetrically.”
― Ellen Klages, In the House of the Seven Librarians

“You have to pick your battles.”
― Ellen Klages, Out of Left Field

“The sky was a hundred shades of blue, studded with clouds that hung miles above the desert floor, their tops glowing a warm, luminous peach, like whipped cream lit from within.”
― Ellen Klages, White Sands, Red Menace

“It was a deep green felt that held one thousand slips of paper, numbered 001 to 999.”
― Ellen Klages, In the House of the Seven Librarians

“The status quo doesn't stand a chance.”
― Ellen Klages, Out of Left Field

“I told Pop I wanted to be a scientist when I grew up, but he said scientists were men, and I'd just get married.”
― Ellen Klages, Portable Childhoods

“Turns out a missile is always a weapon, and a rocket sometimes isn’t.”
― Ellen Klages, Out of Left Field

“Librarians are guardians of books. They guide others along their paths, offering keys to help unlock the doors of knowledge.”
― Ellen Klages, In the House of the Seven Librarians