By subscribing to Inspiring Quotes you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Author and screenwriter Vicki Baum’s life was bookended by her youth in Austria and her final decades as a U.S. citizen. In between, she experienced major artistic breakthroughs while living in Germany. In 1929, she published the international bestseller “People in a Hotel” — the basis for “Grand Hotel,” 1932’s Best Picture Oscar winner starring Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and the Barrymore brothers. Yet this period of great literary success began with modern dance, a discovery Baum made while researching her successful earlier novel, 1921’s “Ina Raffay’s Dances.” Baum spent more than a decade studying modern dance, a creative outlet that brought her immense delight and opened her mind to new avenues of storytelling. Encouraged to improvise at the end of her very first class, she would later remember, “I felt as though I hadn’t begun to live until that afternoon.”
10 Quotes From Oscar Best Picture Winners
15 Motivating Quotes From Female Comedians
12 Pearls of Wisdom From T.S. Eliot
'Cathedrals of the Mind': 15 Quotes About Libraries
20 Life Lessons From Mister Rogers
'When You Get, Give': 14 Quotes About Volunteering
20 Genius Stephen Sondheim Lyrics About Life, Love, and Success
16 Lyrics to Live By From Grammy-Winning Songs
15 Astronauts Share Their Unique Perspective on Planet Earth
Leaving Your Comfort Zone: 13 Quotes for When You Need a Little Push
13 Lovely Lines From E.E. Cummings’ Poetry