Dangerous People

“The first people a dictator puts in jail after a coup are the writers, the teachers, the librarians — because these people are dangerous. They have enough vocabulary to recognize injustice and to speak loudly about it. Let us have the courage to go on being dangerous people.” 

—Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007), writer, “Dare to Be Creative,” 1983. See Maria Popova, “Dare to Disturb the Universe,” Brain Pickings, 2014.

• Editorial Comment: Be dangerous: Learn more words.




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“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard