But the main things about a man are his eyes and his feet. He should be able to see the world and go after it.

Writing is not chewing your nails and picking your teeth, but a matter of public interest.

In the course of writing one historical book or another, it has happened that I could hardly restrain myself from simply copying entire documents. Indeed, I sometimes sank down among the documents and said to myself, I can't improve on these.

The cities are the principal home and seat of the human group. They are the coral colony for Man, the collective being.

I used to think great teachers inspire you. Now I think I had it wrong. Good teachers inspire you; great teachers show you how to inspire yourself every day of your life. They don't show you their magic. They show you how to make magic of your own.

Cultivate your Futurism. I'll cultivate my Döblinism.

You shouldn't be a big shot about your fate. I'm an enemy of Destiny, I'm not a Greek, I'm a Berliner.