Literature has low enough standards. But we can avoid writing the worst literature if we make ourselves ask ourselves, every two or three sentences we write, 'Is that what I really think?'

The more original a short-story writer, the odder looking the assortment of things he or she puts together for a story.

No one is shallow and vulgar forever; sooner or later the whole species likes to be profound.

Emily was feeling the elation of conscientious hosts when they can temporarily escape a ubiquitous houseguest.

An essay is a work of literary art which has a minimum of one anecdote and one universal idea.

The secret of literature, which conventional people don't guess, is that writers are forever looking for the surprising revelation - not for reinforcement of collective wisdom.

The six and one-fourth hours' television watching (the American average per day) which non-reading children do is what is called alpha-level learning. The mind needn't make any pictures since the pictures are provided, so the mind cuts current as low as it can.