MOTIVATING TIPS

Mary Schmich

American advice columnist and essayist

1 verified quote1 topicAll with editorial commentary

[ Life ]

The Chicago Tribune's advice columnist since 1992, Schmich built her reputation on the opposite of conventional wisdom—she wrote with specificity about the messy, contradictory reality of modern life. A native of Connecticut, she arrived at the Tribune during the golden age of newspaper columnmaking, when her twice-weekly pieces reached millions of Midwesterners navigating jobs, relationships, and the peculiar loneliness of cities. Her voice was unafraid of admitting uncertainty, a radical move for someone dispensing guidance.

[ Words & Works ]

"Wear sunscreen" began as a commencement address she wrote for Northwestern University's graduation in 1997—never delivered live, it circulated as an urban legend, became a viral email before the internet knew what viral meant, and later appeared as an essay collection (1999). The piece's endurance lies in its refusal to promise anything except the obvious: time moves, regret accumulates, and small protections matter. Schmich's subsequent collections and her ongoing Tribune work prove that readers crave honesty over platitude, and she's spent three decades providing exactly that.

Frequently asked

What are the best Mary Schmich quotes?

Mary Schmich is best known for quotes on On Focus & Distraction. Among the most cited: "Reading is a discount ticket to..." from Chicago Tribune column.

How many Mary Schmich quotes does MotivatingTips have?

MotivatingTips has 1 verified Mary Schmich quote, each with editorial commentary and source verification. Quotes are organized across On Focus & Distraction.

What book are Mary Schmich's quotes from?

Quotes on MotivatingTips are sourced from Chicago Tribune column.

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Every Mary Schmich quote on MotivatingTips includes verified attribution with source, book, chapter, or speech reference where available.

Best Mary Schmich Quotes

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Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.

VerifiedChicago Tribune column, April 23, 2000 (Chicago Tribune Archives)
Why This Matters

Mary Schmich captures something truer than the familiar notion that books expand your mind: she's describing reading as an economics of experience. You needn't have a passport, savings account, or even leave your armchair to inhabit Renaissance Florence, a whaling ship, or the interior monologue of someone utterly unlike yourself. A teenager in rural Nebraska can live as a Victorian governess or a jazz musician in 1920s Harlem for the price of a library card. The word "discount" is the genius here—it suggests reading doesn't merely approximate travel, but offers the same cognitive and emotional arrival at a fraction of the cost and risk.

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Mary Schmich Quotes. (n.d.). MotivatingTips. Retrieved May 13, 2026, from https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/mary-schmich

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Mary Schmich Quotes. MotivatingTips, DSS Media, 2026. https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/mary-schmich, accessed May 13, 2026.

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"Mary Schmich Quotes." MotivatingTips. DSS Media, 2026. 13 May 2026. https://www.motivatingtips.com/authors/mary-schmich

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