Edward Morgan Forster
I am Edward Morgan Forster, known perhaps best for writing novels in which people muddle through—through society, through silence, through the bewildering requirements of class, convention, and decorum—and yet, sometimes, find connection. Born in 1879 and educated at Cambridge, I came to believe that literature, like life, ought to illuminate the human spirit rather than imprison it. My pen was never against civilization, but against those polite absurdities that make us forget to be honest with ourselves—or with each other. You will not find perfect heroes in my work, but you may find, I hope, people striving toward clarity, or at least toward kindness. If I could pass on any message to the modern reader, it would be simply what I asked long ago: “Only connect!” Connection—between people, between the heart and the head—is the essence of both meaning and mercy.