Bepina Vragec

“ĐORGOVIĆ: - Kakav je vaš odnos prema ženama?

ĐILAS: - Slažem se sa Njegošem koji u pesmi “Noć skuplja vijeka” kaže: “ka’ Bog želi, privedoh je svetoj želji” - onu vilu lepoticu, koja mu se priviđa. Znači, Njegoš intimni odnos sa ženom uzima kao božanski čin.

ĐORGOVIĆ: - Mlađi ondašnji komunisti nisu bili baš za ljubav, gajio se asketski moral?

ĐILAS: - Mi smo imali dve faze. Fazu slobodne ljubavi koju sam zatekao kad sam ušao u Partiju [april 1933]. Onda smo imali reakciju i tražili čistotu, koja je povezana sa boljševizacijom, odnosno sa monolitizacijom partije, ideološkom monolitizacijom, ali je povezana i s praksom da jedan olaki erotski život između drugova i drugarica stvara političke probleme, izaziva konflikte, otežava jedinstvo akcije i daje dobar materijal neprijatelju da to iskoristi.

ĐORGOVIĆ: Kada je počelo sa tim shvatanjem?

ĐILAS: - Kada sam izašao iz zatvora 1936. već je to bilo počelo. Ja sam jedan od onih, i Ranković takođe […] U Zagrebu i Ljubljani uvek je bila slabija ta čistunska, doktrinarno čistunska linija. Razume se, ona nije nikad potpuno pobedila, jer mnogi rade ilegalno ono što ne pokazuju javno, ali kod mnogih je pobedila. Igrala je određenu ulogu u smislu homogenizacije Partije, homogenizacije u jednom striktno doktrinarnom smislu. A sve smo to preneli na Armiju za vreme rata, mada je bilo dosta odstupanja. Znate kako je, spavaju ljudi zajedeno …”
― Milovan Đilas, Đilas: vernik i jeretik

“—Ты вот мне не поверишь, а ведь он это сделал из хорошего побуждения. Право... Оно, вишь ты, и благородно, и откровенно, ну, да и поговорить представляется случай, красноречие в ход пустить; а ведь нам вот чего нужно, вот без чего мы жить не в состоянии... Ох, язык его — враг его... Ну, зато же он и слуга ему.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Rudin

“People ask me often, ‘Why do you write in a dying language?’ And I want to explain it in a few words.

Firstly, I like to write ghost stories and nothing fits a ghost better than a dying language. The deader the language the more alive is the ghost. Ghosts love Yiddish and as far as I know, they all speak it.

Secondly, not only do I believe in ghosts, but also in resurrection. I am sure that millions of Yiddish speaking corpses will rise from their graves one day and their first question will be: “Is there any new Yiddish book to read?” For them Yiddish will not be dead.

Thirdly, for 2000 years Hebrew was considered a dead language. Suddenly it became strangely alive. What happened to Hebrew may also happen to Yiddish one day, (although I haven’t the slightest idea how this miracle can take place.)

There is still a fourth minor reason for not forsaking Yiddish and this is: Yiddish may be a dying language but it is the only language I know well. Yiddish is my mother language and a mother is never really dead.

[Isaac Bashevis Singer’s speech at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1978]”
― Isaac Bashevis Singer

“The Dean, if we believe report,
Was never ill receiv'd at Court.
As for his works in verse and prose
I own myself no judge of those;
Nor can I tell what critics thought 'em:
But this I know, all people bought 'em.
As with a moral view design'd
To cure the vices of mankind:
His vein, ironically grave,
Expos'd the fool, and lash'd the knave.
To steal a hint was never known,
But what he writ was all his own.”
― Jonathan Swift, Verses on the death of Dr. Swift. Occasioned by reading the following maxim in Rochfoucault. Written by himself; Nov. 1731.