The older I get, the more I want to do. It beats death, decay or golf in unfortunate trousers. Peace and quiet depress me. Simon Schama beatdeathdecay Change image and share on social
Jewish comedy doesn't come out of nothing. Jewish music doesn't come out of nothing... I don't want to be part of a story where Jews are just victims or bullies - and I'm not saying that's what the Israelis are. Simon Schama bullycomedyisraeli share on social
We seem wired to grieve with greenery. Allowing the dead to dissolve into the earth, to become part of the cycle of the seasons, has, for millennia, held the promise of cheating mortality. Simon Schama allowcheatcycle Change image and share on social
Silence, this will surprise you not, isn't really a Jewish concept. Simon Schama conceptjewishsilence Change image and share on social
I actually think that history has fed off the restlessness of cyber space, of kind of the frantic, segmented nature of the way we lead our lives. People want to be connected. Simon Schama connectcyberfeed Change image and share on social
It takes a perverse determination to drain that instinctive curiosity away and make history seem just remote, dead and disconnected from our contemporary reality. Conversely, it just takes skilful storytelling to recharge that connection to make the past come alive in our present. Simon Schama aliveconnectioncontemporary share on social
In the early nineteenth century, with Enlightenment optimism soured by years of war and revolution, critics were skeptical of America's naive faith that it had reinvented politics. Simon Schama americacenturycritic Change image and share on social
I find it very hard to write about Jewish history. Simon Schama findhardhistory Change image and share on social
History gives you insight of the same quality of truth as poetry or philosophy or a novel. Simon Schama historyinsightphilosophy Change image and share on social
I would passionately make the case that the harder the times, the more we need things that aren't just about keeping our job and making a buck - important though those things are. Arts programming isn't some sort of add-on or ornamental luxury. Simon Schama addartbuck share on social
