A.J. Liebling Quotes, born Abbott Joseph Liebling on October 18, 1904, in New York City, was an American journalist and author whose sharp wit and vivid prose made him a legend at The New Yorker from 1935 until his death in 1963. Known for his press criticism in the “Wayward Press” column, he also chronicled boxing in The Sweet Science, named the greatest sports book by Sports Illustrated, and French cuisine in Between Meals. Liebling’s aphorism, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one,” remains iconic.
These 15 quotes—sourced from his writings and interviews—reflect his insights on journalism, writing, society, and life, capturing his irreverent, brilliant voice.
15 A.J. Liebling Quotes
- “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” (The New Yorker, May 14, 1960)
- “I can write better than anybody who can write faster, and I can write faster than anybody who can write better.” (Quoted in Just Enough Liebling, 2005)
- “People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news.” (The New Yorker, April 7, 1956)
- “The only way to write is well and how you do it is your own damn business.” (Quoted in Just Enough Liebling, 2005)
- “The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite.” (Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris, 1962)
- “A city with one newspaper, or with a morning and an evening paper under one ownership, is like a man with one eye, and often the eye is glass.” (The New Yorker, n.d.)
- “The function of the press in society is to inform, but its role in society is to make money.” (The New Yorker, n.d.)
- “Southern political personalities, like sweet corn, travel badly. They lose flavor with every hundred yards away from the patch.” (Just Enough Liebling, 2005)
- “The world isn’t going backward, if you can just stay young enough to remember what it was really like when you were really young.” (The Sweet Science, 1956)
- “I take a grave view of the press. It is the weak slat under the bed of democracy.” (The New Yorker, n.d.)
- “An Englishman teaching an American about food is like the blind leading the one-eyed.” (Between Meals, 1962)
- “If you just try long enough and hard enough, you can always manage to boot yourself in the posterior.” (The New Yorker, n.d.)
- “Inconsiderate to the last, Josef Stalin, a man who never had to meet a deadline, had the bad taste to die in installments.” (The New Yorker, March 28, 1953)
- “A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.” (Quoted in Bookey, 2023)
- “The fighter (like the writer) must stand alone.” (The Sweet Science, 1956)
A.J. Liebling’s quotes sparkle with razor-sharp wit, journalistic wisdom, and a love for life’s finer things, inspiring fans to question the press, write boldly, and savor every moment. Which quote hits home for you? Share it in the comments and keep Liebling’s legacy alive!
Emma Thompson
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