Literary tycoon Nora Ephron died from acute leukemia a year ago today, leaving behind a storied career of movies, essays, and novels that have continued and will continue to influence both the publishing and entertainment industries alike. We at MC nothing short of worship Ms. Ephron, and will thus happily seize any opportunity that requires us to research her materials. Taking a look at her vast collection of work — from hits like When Harry Met Sally to the 1975 essay compilation "Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women" — we rounded up 10 of her sharpest, wittiest, most smile-inducing quotes.
1. "Everybody thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor but they couldn't possibly all have good taste." —When Harry Met Sally
2. "No, no, you did not have great sex with Sheldon. A Sheldon can do your income taxes, if you need a root canal, Sheldon's your man... but humpin' and pumpin' is not Sheldon's strong suit. It's the name. 'Do it to me Sheldon, you're an animal Sheldon, ride me big Shel-don.' Doesn't work." —When Harry Met Sally
3. "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." —When Harry Met Sally
4. "When you're attracted to someone, it just means that your subconscious is attracted to their subconscious, subconsciously. So what we think of as fate is just two neuroses knowing that they are a perfect match." —Sleepless in Seattle
5. "Destiny is something we've invented because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental." —Sleepless in Seattle
6. "Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void." —You've Got Mail
7. "Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one! It got on at 42nd and off at 59th, where, I assume, it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake, as almost all hats are." —You've Got Mail
8. "And then the dreams break into a million tiny pieces. The dream dies. Which leaves you with a choice: You can settle for reality, or you can go off, like a fool, and dream another dream." —"Heartburn"
9. "Oh, how I regret not having worn a bikini for the entire year I was twenty-six. If anyone young is reading this, go, right this minute, put on a bikini, and don't take it off until you're thirty-four." —"I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman"
10. "We have lived through the era when happiness was a warm puppy, and the era when happiness was a dry martini, and now we have come to the era when happiness is knowing what your uterus looks like." —"Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women"
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