History, writing, infect after a time a man's sense of himself.

I think there are a lot more important things than art in the world. But not to me.

There is a peculiar aesthetic pleasure in constructing the form of a syllabus, or a book of essays, or a course of lectures. Visions and shadows of people and ideas can be arranged and rearranged like stained-glass pieces in a window, or chessmen on a board.

I am a creature of my pen. My pen is the best of me.

She was a logical child, as far as children go. She did not understand how such a nice, kind, good God as the one they preyed to, could condemn the whole earth for sinfulness and flood it, or condemn his only Son to a disgusting death on behalf of everyone. This death did not seem to have done much good.

What literature can and should do is change the people who teach the people who don't read the books.

Outside our small safe place flies mystery.