You never know what you will learn till you start writing. Then you discover truths you never knew existed.

No blame should attach to telling the truth. But it does, it does.

Great writers are the saints for the godless.

Life... is not simply a series of exciting new ventures. The future is not always a whole new ball game. There tends to be unfinished business. One trails all sorts of things around with one, things that simply won't be got rid of.

All good fortune is a gift of the gods, and you don't win the favor of the ancient gods by being good, but by being bold.

What is interesting about self-analysis is that it leads nowhere - it is an art form in itself.

To remain pure, a novel has to cast a moral puzzle. Anything else is mere negotiation.