Quentin Crisp (born Denis Charles Pratt, (1908-12-25)25 December 1908 – 21 November 1999(1999-11-21)), was an English writer and raconteur.
From a conventional suburban background, Crisp grew up with effeminate tendencies, which he flaunted by parading the streets in make-up and painted nails, and working as a rent-boy. He then spent thirty years as a professional model for life-classes in art colleges, which he said was like being a naked civil servant. His agent suggested that this should be the title of his memoirs, which appeared in 1968. The interviews he gave about his unusual life attracted increasing public curiosity, and he was soon sought-after for his highly individual views on social manners and the cultivating of style. His one-man show was a long-running hit, both in England and America, and he also appeared in films and on TV.
As a high-profile gay person, Crisp defied convention by criticising both Gay Liberation and Princess Diana.
Read more about Quentin Crisp: Influence and Legacy, Works, Filmography, Discography
Famous quotes by quentin crisp:
“Of course I lie to people. But I lie altruistically—for our mutual good. The lie is the basic building block of good manners. That may seem mildly shocking to a moralist—but then what isn’t?”
—Quentin Crisp (b. 1908)
“A gentleman doesn’t pounce ... he glides. If a woman sits on a piece of furniture which permits your sitting beside her, you are free to regard this as an invitation, though not an unequivocal one.”
—Quentin Crisp (b. 1908)
“Abatement in the hostility of one’s enemies must never be thought to signify they have been won over. It only means that one has ceased to constitute a threat.”
—Quentin Crisp (b. 1908)
“Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in which it is possible to commit some social sin.”
—Quentin Crisp (b. 1908)
“Whenever we confront an unbridled desire we are surely in the presence of a tragedy-in-the-making.”
—Quentin Crisp (b. 1908)