Re: Einstein vs Garrison Keiler

[David Bowman <dbowman@TIGER.GEORGETOWNCOLLEGE.EDU>]

ng Bob S.'s question:

> On today's (Jan 23) "Writer's Almanac" NPR program, Garrison Keiler said:
> "It's the birthday of experimental poet Louis Zukofsky, born on the Lower
> East Side of New York City in 1904. He once wrote, ' Everything should be
> as simple as it can be...not simpler.' "
>
> I always thought this was an Einstein quote.  Can anyone add info one way
> or the other?

Interesting.  I, as well, had always seen the quote attributed to
Einstein.  I wonder who was first. One point of reference is that a
quick Google search on the phrase:

+"should be as simple as possible" +"but not simpler" +Einstein

yielded 652 hits.  But a search on the phrase:

+"should be as simple as possible" +"but not simpler" +Zukofsky

yielded zero hits.  Also a Google search on:

+"should be as simple as it can be...not simpler" +Zukofsky

yielded exactly 1 hit, and that was the MPR site for Keillor's
radio almanac.

David Bowman