“But they never learned what it was that Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs Which had to do, for there was a gust of wind, and they were gone.” last line of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle (via alistoflastlines)

“On meeting Meg, we learn she can perform square root functions in her head — a mark, not of wallflower status, but of moral distinction. Still, Meg harbors doubts about her own intellectual abilities, and her exacting expectations rub off on the reader. If anything, the book enchants readers who might not entirely grasp its concepts with the delight in not knowing; the realization that even the most know-it-all kids do not, in fact, have all the answers and that certain questions are worth asking.” Pamela Paul, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the publication of Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time (via emilywalks)

“I’m out of love with everything and everybody. Out of love with life.” Bran, A Swiftly Tilting Planet (Madeline L’Engle)

(via love-love-kiss-kiss-deactivated)

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” Madeline L’Engle (via skriving)

“I like to take the time out to listen to the trees, much in the same way that I listen to a sea shell, holding my ear against the rough bark of the trunk, hearing the inner singing of the sap. It’s a lovely sound, the beating of the heart of the tree.” Madeline L’Engle (via the-wild-wood)

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” Madeline L’Engle (via linguistry)

“

…it’s occurred to me that there is another good reason why Meg wouldn’t have gone on in academia. In addition to her issues with knowing too much, there’s also the fact that she refused to play the game. The game that says when your teacher is droning on and on about somethign you already know, you scribble diligently in your notebook, pretending to be taking notes when you’re actually doodling or writing a sci-fi story. The game that says when your teacher is full of BS, you plaster the “that is the most fascinating thing I’ve ever heard” expression on your face and and complain to your friends later. You be a good girl and do as your told.

That game doesn’t go away in grad school; in fact, it gets worse. You do what your advisor tells you, focus on putting out publications that people may or may not read, and make whatever changes to your thesis your committee wants whether or not they make sense. I can easily imagine Meg taking one look at all that and telling them to shove it.

”

Comment on a review of Madeline L’Engle’s The Arm of the Starfish.

To which I say exactly. Meg’s decision to not persue an academic career is actually quite fitting with her character, and is not a sign of weakness and sexism. Of course, I also feel that Mrs. Murry’s explanation in An Acceptable Time was a factor, but lack of confidence has always been a part of Meg’s character, and although she gets better, it’s realistic that it not disappear completely.

(Source: tor.com)

“There are still people in this world who keep promises.” Mr. Murray (A Wind in the Door, Madeline L’Engle)

(via love-love-kiss-kiss-deactivated)