As strains of ethereal guitar loops floated up from a rehearsal somewhere in his building, Mr. Cohen contemplated the film's release, still speaking modestly but with great feeling.
This was his gift to me – and he gave it without ostentation, always speaking modestly and carefully, in such a way as to make poetry (in particular) seem an endlessly ingenious thing, but also as natural to the species as breathing.
The studio releases of the fall of 1997 were, comparatively speaking, modestly budgeted; L.A. Confidential cost $35 million, Amistad cost $36 million, The Game, $50 million.
In his first extended interview, Mr. Auburn spoke modestly about his accomplishment.
Ms. Pugh, who spoke modestly and objectively, concentrated on the Memphis musical traditions from which she was drawing.
Despite his achievements, which this year also included a national award from India for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Mr. Goyal speaks modestly of himself.
On the stoops, the whimsical eyes of Paul, the grocer, Muhammed, from the deli, and Tati, from the hair salon, seem to speak modestly, and honestly.
Rachel Carr speaks modestly about her considerable talents, which turn things like walnuts and avocado into other things like chorizo and ice cream.
As she received her award and spoke modestly about her dangerous work as a journalist in Dagestan, just east of Chechnya, for the newspaper Chernovik ("rough draft"), I couldn't have been alone in wondering about her longevity.
Steele spoke modestly and only briefly during Tor's keynote speech to the 3,500 people at the event, acknowledging that her priority would be to diversify its funding sources.
When asked, McCoy will speak modestly about his resume: the 2000 national champion this year; the two-time collegiate champion at Penn State, where he was the chairman of the student advisory committee for the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the state champion at Longwood High School in Middle Island, N.Y., where he was also a first chair cellist and the senior class president.
