The worst thing for a writer is to know another writer, and worse than that, to know a number of other writers. Like flies on the same turd.

and now sometimes I'm interviewed, they want to hear about life and literature and I get drunk and hold up my cross-eyed, shot, runover de-tailed cat and I say,"look, look at this!" but they don't understand, they say something like,"you say you've been influenced by Celine?" no," I hold the cat up,"by what happens, by things like this, by this, by this!

I do not like to work and have no trade but i do like to eat, so this is basic, the basic training of slaves to fear.

I was in love again. I was in trouble

I was only kidding about the hundred," she says. oh," I say, "what will it cost me?" she lights her cigarette with my lighter and looks at me through the flame: her eyes tell me. look," I say, "I don't think I can ever pay that price again.

Hey, Hank, I notice all the women around your place lately ... good looking stuff; you're doing all right." "Sam," I say, "that's not true; I am one of God's most lonely men.

People don't need love. What they need is success in one form or another. It can be love but it needn't be.