John takes the line 'Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia' from Sarah on their first date for Looking for Alaska (told 2016)
story · status: told 6× · last event: retold (2019-09-10)
The Looking for Alaska line 'Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia' is something Sarah said to John on their first date; he wrote it down and used it, with her permission. He told it in 2016 and again in 2019, calling it the book's best line.
Told alongside: John and Sarah's two-person book club before they started dating
About: Sarah Urist Green, Looking for Alaska (novel)
| date | event | what | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-03-19 | told | The Looking for Alaska line on the Italian edition's back, 'imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia', was said to John by Sarah on their first date. | Foreign John Green Books and the Ultimate Concern 00:02:04 |
| 2011-05-05 | retold | Borrowing a line he took from his wife for his first novel, that imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia, John says he can't wait to see what Hank does with 31. | IT'S HANKO DE MAYO!! 00:02:27 |
| 2011-08-26 | retold | John says Sarah has contributed tons to his writing, from imagining the future as a kind of nostalgia in Looking for Alaska to the pranks in Paper Towns. | Will He Kiss You? Am I a Muggle? It's Question Friday. 00:03:09 |
| 2016-11-17 | told | John says Sarah said 'Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia' on their first date; he wrote it on a napkin and put it in Looking for Alaska, with her permission. | Decathlons, Pretension, and the Weirdest Animal I've Met: It's Question Thursday 00:00:49 |
| 2018-10-02 | retold | John says he stole that line from his wife. | How Much Do You Love Each Other? It's Question Tuesday 00:01:00 |
| 2019-09-10 | retold | John recalls that on their first date Sarah said 'imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia', which he promptly put into Looking for Alaska and still thinks is the book's best line. | Another Contender in the Room 00:00:29 |
What is said about it
8 statements, by date (the events above are the turns of the thread; these are the details).
- 2011-08-26 · Will He Kiss You? Am I a Muggle? It's Question Friday. — John says Sarah has contributed tons to his writing: the line 'imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia' in Looking for Alaska, the pranks in Paper Towns, and hugely to The Fault in Our Stars. — 00:03:05
- 2018-10-02 · How Much Do You Love Each Other? It's Question Tuesday — Hank's favorite quote from a John Green book is 'imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia', which he calls really good. — 00:01:00
- 2010-03-19 · Foreign John Green Books and the Ultimate Concern — John thinks we all privilege those close to us over those who aren't, and threats close to us over distant ones, which is why Hank's farsighted concern impresses him. (hedged) — 00:02:33
- 2011-05-05 · IT'S HANKO DE MAYO!! — announcement: John signs off 'I will see you tomorrow', remarking that he hasn't been able to say that in a long time. (playful) — 00:02:34
- 2016-11-17 · Decathlons, Pretension, and the Weirdest Animal I've Met: It's Question Thursday — John says they own one copy of each Harry Potter book except book four, of which they have two; one was on Quentin's nightstand in the Paper Towns movie. — 00:01:05
- 2016-11-17 · Decathlons, Pretension, and the Weirdest Animal I've Met: It's Question Thursday — John: Asked which of his characters he would vote for as president, John picks Hazel's mom from The Fault in Our Stars: cool under pressure, thoughtful, cautious, played by Laura Dern. (hedged) — 00:01:16
- 2018-10-02 · How Much Do You Love Each Other? It's Question Tuesday — John has glitter on his face from the poster and from snuggling Alice, who is always covered in glitter: it is part of being Alice's dad. (playful) — 00:01:29
- 2018-10-02 · How Much Do You Love Each Other? It's Question Tuesday — Hank: Now that both are authors, Hank says he is the science one and John is the old one. (playful) — 00:01:58