Pg. 270, East of Eden, John Steinbeck, author

"Remember, Mr. Hamilton, I told you I was trying to translate some old Chinese poetry into English? No, don't worry. I won't read it. Doing it, I found some of the old things as fresh and clear as the morning. And I wondered why. And, of course, people are interested only in themselves. If a story is not about the hearer he will not listen. And here I make a rule--the strange and lasting story is about everyone or it will not last. The strange and foreign is not interesting--only the deeply personal and familiar."