A. J. Liebling
A. J. Liebling: The Chronicler of America's Greatest Era
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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A.J. Liebling was born Arthur Julius Liebling on October 18, 1904, in New York City. His friends and colleagues often referred to him as 'Jules' or simply 'Lieb'.
Birth and Death Dates
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October 18, 1904 – December 29, 1963
Nationality and Profession(s)
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American journalist, author, and critic
A.J. Liebling's writing career spanned over four decades, during which he worked as a reporter for various publications, including the New Yorker.
Early Life and Background
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Liebling was born to a Jewish family of modest means in Manhattan's Lower East Side. His early life was marked by a strong interest in literature and politics. He attended Columbia University but dropped out without graduating. Instead, he began working as a journalist for various local newspapers.
In the 1920s and '30s, Liebling moved to Paris, where he befriended prominent writers like Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce. These relationships would later influence his writing style and subject matter.
Major Accomplishments
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Liebling's most notable contributions to American journalism include:
His coverage of World War II for the New Yorker
The publication of 'The Road Back to Paris,' a travelogue about post-war Europe
'Back Where I Came From,' a collection of essays about his experiences as a war correspondentNotable Works or Actions
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Liebling's writing often focused on human interest stories, politics, and culture. Some of his most notable works include:
'The Road Back to Paris,' (1945) - A travelogue that chronicles Liebling's journey through post-war Europe.
'Back Where I Came From,' (1937) - A collection of essays about his experiences as a war correspondent in France during the 1930s.
'The Telephone Booth Indian,' (1952) - An essay that explores the intersection of politics and culture through the story of a Native American veteran who becomes embroiled in a dispute over a telephone booth.
Impact and Legacy
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A.J. Liebling's contributions to American journalism have had a lasting impact on the profession. His writing style, which blended humor with incisive analysis, has influenced generations of journalists. Liebling's commitment to storytelling and his ability to convey complex ideas in an engaging manner make him one of the most widely read and quoted journalists of the 20th century.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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A.J. Liebling is remembered for his unique writing style, which blended humor with incisive analysis. His commitment to storytelling has made him one of the most widely read and quoted journalists of the 20th century.
Quotes by A. J. Liebling
A. J. Liebling's insights on:
No sane man can afford to dispense with debilitating pleasures. No ascetic can be considered reliably sane.
What an epithet can be derived from that – “Frivolous philologist!” For thirty years I have been waiting for a chance to use it, but every time I get into an argument with a savant, he turns out to be of some other persuasion – a psychologist, perhaps, or a podiatrist. The neck my knife would fit has never presented itself.
I can write faster than anyone who can write better, and I can write better than anyone who can write faster.
Southern political personalities, like sweet corn, travel badly. They lose flavor with every hundred yards away from the patch. By the time they reach New York, they are like Golden Bantam that has been trucked up from Texas – stale and unprofitable. The consumer forgets that the corn tastes different where it grows.
I met a keen observer who gave me a tip: ‘If you run across a restaurant where you often see priests eating with priests, or sporting girls with sporting girls, you may be confident that it is good. Those are two classes of people who like to eat well and get their money’s worth.’
Up there in my retreat, I feel the city calling to me. It winks at me with its myriad eyes, and I go out and get stiff as a board. I seek out companionship, and if I do not find friends, I make them. A wonderful, grand old Babylon.
The science of booby-trapping has taken a good deal of the fun out of following hot on the enemy’s heels.
The country’s present supply of foreign news depends largely on how best a number of dry goods merchants in New York think they can sell underwear.
A Louisiana politician can’t afford to let his animosities carry him away, and still less his principles, although there is seldom difficulty in that department.
Hitler was the archetype of the abstemious man. When the other krauts saw him drink water in the Beer Hall they should have known he was not to be trusted.