Society was nothing but a long, dull dinner party conversation in which one was forced to speak to one's partner on both the left and the right.

You can't always trust what you think, what you know ... but you can always trust your nature.

You throw a person in the river and then make a spectacle of jumping in to save them.

If you've had good gin on a hot day in Southern California with the people you love, you forget Nebraska. The two things cannot coexist. The stronger, better of the two wins.

That's one of the many things about having the bookstore that I adore. I can walk into the store and say to somebody, "I'm glad you're reading this book" or "I'm glad you're getting this book" or "Don't get that book. I read that book and hated that book. Let's get you this book instead."

The secret is to keep adding voices, adding ideas, and moving things around as you put together your life. If you’re lucky, putting together your life is a process that will last through every single day you’re alive.

I love a large cast of characters. That's the way life is: it's flooded with people and we keep them all straight.