An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.

It seemed better to delay thinking.

Your parents don't give you much love, do they?' 'I don't need that stuff,' I told her. 'Henry, everybody needs love.' 'I don't need anything.' 'You poor boy.

Turgenev was a very serious fellow but he could make me laugh because a truth first encountered can be very funny. When someone else's truth is the same as your truth, and he seems to be saying it just for you, that's great.

I was their bar freak, they needed me to make themselves feel better. just like, at times, I needed that graveyard.

The less I needed, the better I felt.

As a recluse I couldn't bear traffic. It had nothing to do with jealousy, I simply disliked people, crowds, anywhere, except at my readings. People diminished me, they sucked me dry.