they simply never understand, do they, that sometimes solitude is one of the most beautiful things on earth?

Show me a man who lives alone and has a perpetually clean kitchen, and 8 times out of 9 I'll show you a man with detestable spiritual qualities.

great books are the ones we need

there is always one woman to save you from another and as that woman saves you she makes ready to destroy

not writing is not good but trying to write when you can't is worse.

The poet, as a rule, is a half-man - a sissy, not a real person, and he is in no shape to lead real men in matters of blood, or courage.

If you're going to try, go all the way. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe your mind.