Quotations for All Occasions

On the most important occasions of our lives, we often find ourselves at a loss for words; when we want to console, celebrate, explain, inspire, or thank, we end up repeating such uninspiring, uninformative phrases as "Words cannot express how I feel." To help us find the right words, Catherine Frank has compiled this handy compendium of quotations that capture the mundane and the magnificent, the everyday and extraordinary moments of our lives.

The three sections of the book cover 150 occasions. "Every Year" offers quotations on all the special dates in the calendar from New Year's Day to New Year's Eve, including Martin Luther King Day, Valentine's Day, Ramadan, Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. "Occasionally" presents quotations on such occasions as giving a speech, having an interview, becoming a parent, getting engaged, welcoming someone, and saying goodbye. "Once in a Lifetime" provides quotations on such momentous events as confirmation, coming out, turning 16, graduation, and retirement.

A sampling:

- Plato, John Donne, and Woody Allen give their words of wisdom on death.

- Betty Ford writes eloquently on recovery.

- Martina Navratilova ruminates on her first sexual encounter... and Holden Caufield on his.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, and Frederick Douglass ponder Independence Day.

- Amy Tan reflects on the meaning of the Chinese New Year.

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Susan Sontag offer poignant descriptions of pain and illness.

Whether you are offering consolation or congratulations, condolences or confessions, "Quotations for All Occasions" has the perfect words for every occasion.

Catherine Frank is involved in historical preservation work in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she is currently completing a Ph.D. in English.