Who said “Nothing is accidental in the universe -- this is one of my Laws of Physics -- except the…”?

Verified

Joyce Carol Oates. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"The Summing Up: Meredith Dawe," Do What You Will (1970)

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“Nothing is accidental in the universe -- this is one of my Laws of Physics -- except the entire universe itself, which is Pure Accident, pure divinity.”
— Joyce Carol Oates
Verified"The Summing Up: Meredith Dawe," Do What You Will (1970) · evidenceUniverse

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "The Summing Up: Meredith Dawe," Do What You Will (1970).

APA

Oates, J. C. (n.d.). Nothing is accidental in the universe -- this is one of my Laws of Physics -- except the entire universe itself, which is Pure Accident, pure divinity. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41112-nothing-is-accidental-in-the-universe-this-is/

MLA

Oates, Joyce Carol. “Nothing is accidental in the universe -- this is one of my Laws of Physics -- except the entire universe itself, which is Pure Accident, pure divinity.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41112-nothing-is-accidental-in-the-universe-this-is/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Oates, Joyce Carol. “Nothing is accidental in the universe -- this is one of my Laws of Physics -- except the entire universe itself, which is Pure Accident, pure divinity.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/41112-nothing-is-accidental-in-the-universe-this-is/.

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More quotes by Joyce Carol Oates

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“When you're 50 you start thinking about things you haven't thought about before. I used to think getting old was about vanity -- but actually it's about losing people you love. Getting wrinkles is trivial.”
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All 7 Joyce Carol Oates quotes →