The simple act of an ordinary courageous man is not to take part, not to support lies! Let that come into the world and even reign over it, but not through me. Writers and artists can do more: they can vanquish lies! ... Lies can stand up against much in the world, but not against art.

The one and only substitute for experience which we have not ourselves had is art, literature. We have been given a miraculous faculty: Despite the differences of language, customs and social structure we are able to communicate life experience from one whole nation to another, to communicate a difficult national experience many decades long which the second of the two has never experienced.

A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.

Still, everybody wants to eat.

I was always optimistic. And I held to and was guided by my views.

Mourn if you must, but don't stop fighting.

In our country the lie has become not just a moral category but a pillar of the State.