Lillian Hellman Quotes

71 Sourced Quotes

I think we should not try so hard to talk. Sometimes it is wise to let things grow more roots before one blows them away with words.

Lillian Hellman
Is it age, or was it always my nature, to take a bad time, block out the good times, until any success became an accident and failure seemed the only truth?

Lillian Hellman
Nowadays people write English as if a rat were caught in the typewriter and they were trying to hit the keys which wouldn't disturb it.

Lillian Hellman
Since when do we have to agree with people to defend them from injustice?

Lillian Hellman
You don't always know how to do things when they're happening.

Lillian Hellman
I've always had great satisfaction out of writing the plays. I've not always had great satisfaction out of seeing them produced-although often I've had satisfaction there. When things go well in production, on opening there's no nicer feeling in the world-what could be nicer than watching an audience respond? You can't that from a book. It's a fine feeling to walk into the theater and see living people respond to something you've done.

Lillian Hellman
We will not think noble because we are not noble. We will not live in beautiful harmony because there is no such thing in this world, nor should there be. We promise only to do our best and to live out our lives. Dear God, that's all we can promise in truth.

Lillian Hellman
It doesn't pay well to fight for what we believe in.

Lillian Hellman
For every man who lives without freedom, the rest of us must face the guilt.

Lillian Hellman
Haven't you lived in the South long enough to know that nothing is ever anybody's fault?

Lillian Hellman
Tallulah [Bankhead] was sitting in a group of people, giving the monologue she always thought was conversation.

Lillian Hellman