Who said “When all things are equal, translucence in writing is more effective than transparency,…”?

Verified

James Thurber. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceMemo to The New Yorker (1959); reprinted in New York Times Book Review (4 December 1988)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Authors A–Z
“When all things are equal, translucence in writing is more effective than transparency, just as glow is more revealing than glare.”
— James Thurber
VerifiedMemo to The New Yorker (1959); reprinted in New York Times Book Review (4 December 1988) · evidenceWriters and Writing
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Memo to The New Yorker (1959); reprinted in New York Times Book Review (4 December 1988).

APA

Thurber, J. (n.d.). When all things are equal, translucence in writing is more effective than transparency, just as glow is more revealing than glare. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/36685-when-all-things-are-equal-translucence-in-writing/

MLA

Thurber, James. “When all things are equal, translucence in writing is more effective than transparency, just as glow is more revealing than glare.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/36685-when-all-things-are-equal-translucence-in-writing/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Thurber, James. “When all things are equal, translucence in writing is more effective than transparency, just as glow is more revealing than glare.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/36685-when-all-things-are-equal-translucence-in-writing/.

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“He who hesitates is sometimes saved.”
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“You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.”
Verified"The Owl who was God", The New Yorker (29 April 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940). Parody of "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." · evidenceDetails & citeLies and Lying
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“Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?”
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