“One peril he cannot escape—that of misrepresenting human nature.”

Arguing that even invented worlds must remain truthful about human behaviour · Essay, Historical Novels, in Ponkapog Papers (1903)

• Humanity
• Literature
• Truth

“A man cannot keep a daily record of his comings and goings and the little items that make up the sum of his life, and not inadvertently betray himself at every turn.”

Suggesting that ordinary details recorded honestly reveal character more clearly than formal autobiography · Ponkapog Papers, Leaves from a Note Book (1903)

• Character
• Identity
• Writing

“Between the reputation of the author living and the reputation of the same author dead there is ever a wide discrepancy.”

Observing how dramatically literary reputations can change after an author's death · Ponkapog Papers, Leaves from a Note Book (1903)

• Fame
• Literature
• Time