"Whether it's the best of times or the worst of…

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” is the famous first line of the novel A Tale of Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens (1812-1870). “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got” is a saying that has been printed on many images.

American humorist Art Buchwald (1925-2007) said to graduates at the Emerson College commencement in Boston, Massachusetts, after receiving an honorary degree in literature, as reported in the Boston (MA) Sunday Globe on August 20, 1978:

“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it is the only time you’ve got.”

The quotation is usually slightly changed. “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only times we got.—Art Buchwald” was printed in The Rio Grande Sun (Espanola, NM) on October 2, 1980. “Thought for Today: ‘Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time you’ve got.’—Art Buchwald, political satirist” was printed in many newspapers on August 24, 1987. “‘Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.’ >>>Art Buchwald” was posted on the newsgroup alt.quotations on December 28, 2000. “As Art said, ‘Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.’ The special art of Art Buchwald was to make even the worst of times better” was said by Senator Edward M. Kennedy and printed in several Buchwald obituaries on January 18, 2007.

Wikiquote: Art Buchwald
Arthur “Art” Buchwald (20 October 1925 – 17 January 2007) was an American humorist best known for his long-running column in The Washington Post newspaper, which focused on political satire and commentary. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Outstanding Commentary in 1982 and in 1986 was elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
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Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.
’ As quoted in “Art Buchwald Celebrates His Life” a profile on CNN Newsroom (2 November 2006).

Wikipedia: A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities is an 1859 historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution.
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Book the First: Recalled to Life
Dickens’ famous opening sentence introduces the universal approach of the book, the French Revolution, and the drama depicted within:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Newspapers.com
20 August 1978, Boston (MA) Sunday Globe, “Buchwald speaks at Emerson,” pg. A1, col. 5:
He advised the graduates that “whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it is the only time you’ve got.”

Newspapers.com
20 August 1978, Boston (MA) Sunday Globe, “Emerson graduates ‘13 men, 19 persons’” by Louis Kaufman, pg. A5, col. 1:
Under any circumstance, he (Art Buchwald—ed.) said philosophically, “whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it is the only time you’re got.”

Newspapers.com
21 August 1978, Daily World (Opelousas, LA), “Peopletalk” by United Press International, pg. 2, col. 8:
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Art Buchwald, to Emerson college graduates after receiving an honorary degree in literature: “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it is the only time you’ve got.”

Newspapers.com
2 October 1980, The Rio Grande Sun (Espanola, NM), “Bill Tate Says…,” pg. A-2, col. 2:
Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only times we got.—Art Buchwald.

Newspapers.com
24 August 1987, Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff, AZ), pg. 4, col. 4:
Thought for Today: “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time you’ve got.”—Art Buchwald, political satirist.

Google Groups: alt.quotations
thought for today, 12/27/00
george osner
Dec 28, 2000, 12:49:43 AM
“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.”
>>>Art Buchwald

Google Groups: alt.quotations
How much have things have changed since 1960
Grace McGarvie
Apr 8, 2002, 4:29:07 PM
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Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got. Art Buchwald

Newspapers.com
18 January 2004, Des Moines (IA) Register, pg. ST, col. 2 ad:
“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.”
—Art Buchwald
(Midwest Search Group LLC.—ed.)

23 January 2004, Indianapolis (IN) Recorder, “Your Money Matters” by Michael G. Shinn, pg. D1:
Art Buchwald once said, “Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.”

Newspapers.com
3 May 2005, Fremont (NE) Tribune, pg. C1, col. 1:
Quote of the week
Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.—Art Buchwald

Google Groups: alt.obituaries
Art Buchwald - LA Times Obiturary (with video)
aka Bob
Jan 19, 2007, 4:43:43 AM
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-ex-buchwald18jan19,1,2902245.story?coll=la-news-obituaries&ctrack=1&cset=true
Columnist Art Buchwald dead at 81
By Louis Sahagun - Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
12:33 PM PST, January 18, 2007
Art Buchwald, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political satirist, columnist and author of 34 books who built deceptively simple spoofs of modern life on foundations of indignation, has died. He was 81.
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“For decades there was no better way to start the day than to open the morning paper to Art’s column, laugh out loud and learn all over again to take the issues seriously in the world of politics, but not take yourself too seriously,” Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said today in a statement reflecting on Buchwald’s death. “As Art said, ‘Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.’ The special art of Art Buchwald was to make even the worst of times better,” Kennedy said.

Twitter
Tom Dickson
@TomDickson
“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.” ~Art Buchwald
9:36 PM · May 23, 2008·Twitter Web Client

Google Books
Whether It’s the Best of Times Or the Worst of Times, It’s the Only Time We’ve Got
Wide Ruled Lined Paper Notebook | Gradient Color - 6 X 9 Inches (Soft Glossy Cover)
By Lambda Designs · 2020

Twitter
Pam Horton
@PamHortonLife
Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got. ~Art Buchwald~
Hope you have an enjoyable Labor Day!
7:55 AM · Sep 5, 2022·Buffer