“At any given moment, I've always assumed that nearly everyone around m...” — Michael Dirda Quote

“At any given moment, I've always assumed that nearly everyone around me was smarter than I was, more naturally gifted, quicker-witted, and probably capable of understanding Heidegger and Derrida.”

“Born in 1910, Wilfrid Thesiger spent his childhood in Ethiopia, or Abyssinia, as it was then called, where his father was an important and much-admired British official.”

“My own particular feline companion answers, or rather doesn't answer, to Cinnamon. One of my kids must have given her the name, even though she's mostly gray and white.”

“I never was a liner note junkie. I didn't know who produced records or there was such a thing as a straight songwriter. I always assumed that everybody that was singing a song wrote it or made it up.”

“I have six sisters, so I assumed I'd have a girl. Learning I was having a boy was really weird.”

“I always wanted children and assumed I'd have a huge family, but it just never happened.”