But now, he's finally getting a lot of media attention. How ironic!

Noa

I hope you mean Johnston and not Bruno Ganz.

I've always loved fairtytales.
It is only later that i read Einsteins view on Fairytales:

'If you want your child to be smart: read it fairytales. If you want your child to be a genius: read it more fairytales."

With this quote, I am not implying that I am a genius.

Einstein

Dens,
Don't you think that is a no-brainer from Einstein?
(Thanks Noa for the word 'no-brainer', I'll forgive you for all of your past, present and future comments.)

Mandela

PS Dens, what's next, quoting Nelson Mandela?

Speaking about quotes: "Un bon mot ne prouve rien" (Voltaire)

Speaking about Einstein: I once heard that he had the following conversation with Brigitte Bardot. I'm transcribing from memory:

BB: We should make a child. Wouldn't that be great? It would have your brains and my beauty
AE: I don't think so, what if it has my beauty and your brains?

But I'm not sure this conversation actually took place. It may be a fairytale. Or at least a myth.

Enough bon mots for today.

@ Tjitze

This is fairly wellknown urban legend, but normally it is told about Einstein meeting Marilyn Monroe.

July

The content of Dens' quotation about fairytales isn't a no-brainer.
Reading lots of fairytales helps to make you wonder. Which is the beginning of philosophy.

Johnston himself held on to bbc world for almost all the time.
Bit like Piramus and Thisbe - a story of Ovidius which is becoming contemporary again- but at the end no one was eaten by the lion.

Gardening

Hanne V,
books on gardening also help making children wonder.

Johannes

I believe Hanne has got a point. Please tell me next month, Hanne: what do you think is the difference between reading about gardening and reading fairytales.

As to all the quotes:
Johannes, it has clearly been a long time ago that you have been reading and regarding in the way a child does.
"Partir est mourir un peu."

Friede, before you jump to conclusions we have to dertemine the age.
For babies - and I thought about that period because of the stuffed animals on the picture - it isn't necessary to read fairytales. That's more enjoyable for grownups, yes, but a baby is more interested in the soothing voice (=language, rythm, warmth) of someone. And it is indeed possible to read gardening literature in a very poetic way.
For a bit older children, yes, the fairytales are very fascinating stuff.

Friede, this is more on a personal level, but don't intimidate Hanne. Find your own victim, on this blog or elsewhere.

@M Dutoit

Ah, my memory left me on that one.

PS I thought about it and also for older children gardening literature is a very underrated genre.
Friede, do you long to being a child again?
And what do you think of mothers re-experiencing their childhood through their children?

@ Johannes, no-brainer's quite a catchy expression indeed. Now I've been haunted by a new phrase: out of the box. I find that to be a very manipulative saying though. Life in itself is out of the box.

I don't know any quotations from Mandela. I'm not into politics as it is too short-termed.

Johannes

I did not intimidate Hanne as far as i know. If she felt like that i am sorry, but that is up to her i guess.

As to reading books on gardening I can only say you can be happy of being in the posession of such creativity.

As to your questions:
I think it is confronting seeing your little kid playing and growing.
I have always longed for being a kid, even when i was one.

Ganz, Fairy Tales

I'm pleased to hear about the positive outcome in Johnston's case, though I'm not familiar with the specifics.
Rather fond of Fairy Tales myself, though attempts to put them on film often come off fey. Wings of Desire had some fairy tale elements; that was a favourite of mine. (I suppose if I really search my heart, An American Friend is my favourite directed by Wenders and starring Ganz.)
If you, Arnon, or anyone reading this comment want to check out my blog, you're welcome. I think you might be particularly interested in two interconnected recent posts, Colonials and Geronimo. Cheers.