Who said “I would rather have as my patron a host of anonymous citizens digging into their own…”?

Verified

John Updike. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceTestimony given before the Subcommittee on Select Education of the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, Boston (January 30, 1978)

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“I would rather have as my patron a host of anonymous citizens digging into their own pockets for the price of a book or a magazine than a small body of enlightened and responsible men administering public funds. I would rather chance my personal vision of truth striking home here and there in the chaos of publication that exists than attempt to filter it through a few sets of official, honorably public-spirited scruples.”
— John Updike
VerifiedTestimony given before the Subcommittee on Select Education of the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, Boston (January 30, 1978) · evidencePatronage

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Testimony given before the Subcommittee on Select Education of the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, Boston (January 30, 1978).

APA

Updike, J. (n.d.). I would rather have as my patron a host of anonymous citizens digging into their own pockets for the price of a book or a magazine than a small body of enlightened and responsible men administering public funds. I would rather chance my personal vision of truth striking home here and there in the chaos of publication that exists than attempt to filter it through a few sets of official, honorably public-spirited scruples. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16154-i-would-rather-have-as-my-patron-a/

MLA

Updike, John. “I would rather have as my patron a host of anonymous citizens digging into their own pockets for the price of a book or a magazine than a small body of enlightened and responsible men administering public funds. I would rather chance my personal vision of truth striking home here and there in the chaos of publication that exists than attempt to filter it through a few sets of official, honorably public-spirited scruples.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16154-i-would-rather-have-as-my-patron-a/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Updike, John. “I would rather have as my patron a host of anonymous citizens digging into their own pockets for the price of a book or a magazine than a small body of enlightened and responsible men administering public funds. I would rather chance my personal vision of truth striking home here and there in the chaos of publication that exists than attempt to filter it through a few sets of official, honorably public-spirited scruples.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/16154-i-would-rather-have-as-my-patron-a/.

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More quotes by John Updike

“America is a vast conspiracy to make you happy.”
Verified“How to Love America and Leave it at the Same Time,” Problems and Other Stories (1979) · evidenceDetails & citeAmerica
“I love my government not least for the extent to which it leaves me alone.”
VerifiedTestimony given before the Subcommittee on Select Education of the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, Boston, Massachusetts (January 30, 1978) · evidenceDetails & citeGovernment
All 41 John Updike quotes →