The thing is to be happy, no matter what. Just try that. You can. It gets to be easier and easier. It's nothing to do with circumstances. You wouldn't believe how good it is. Accept everything and then tragedy disappears. Or tragedy lightens, anyway, you're just there, going along easy in the world.

One stroke of lightning does not have to lead anywhere, but to the next stroke of lightning.

There would never be any room in her for anything else. No room for anything but the realization of what she had done.

I would really hope this would make people see the short story as an important art, not just something you played around with until you got a novel.

You want in all cases for the story to get through the writing.

I have never kept diaries. I just remember a lot and am more self-centered than most people.

As soon as a man and woman of almost any age are alone together within four walls it is assumed that anything may happen. Spontaneous combustion, instant fornication, triumph of the senses. What possibilities men and women must see in each other to infer such dangers. Or, believing in the dangers, how often they must think about the possibilities.