'Opening doors of perception'

 

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley 

 

Born in Surrey, England on July 26, 1894 Huxley wrote more than 50 books, hundreds of essays and many other works, but he was and is most recognized for his masterpiece Brave New World, destined to be studied, discussed and worried over for decades (if not centuries) to come.   

 

Huxley said he was always interested in writing, looking at life and things around him in new ways.  He completed his first novel at the age of 17 and began writing seriously in his early 20s, almost immediately establishing himself as a successful writer and social satirist.  “Writers write to influence their readers, their preachers, their auditors,” he remarked, “but always, at bottom, to be more themselves.”

 

It is sometimes forgotten that he also had a successful career as a screenwriter and playwright, living for 25 years in Hollywood and then in the artist community of Taos, N.M., up to his death in 1963.   Among his screenplays were Madame Curie and Pride and Prejudice and the well-received stage shows Mortal Coils and The World of Light: A Comedy in Three Acts.

 

“The finest works of art," Huxley said, "are precious, among other reasons, because they make it possible for us to know, if only imperfectly and for a little while, what it actually feels like to think subtly and feel nobly.”